Find #5: Black shawl

Here is the original:

And here is what I found:

The original is made of viscose, and has a sale price of $45. My find, for which I paid $1 at a garage sale, is 70% cashmere and 30% silk. Savings: 97%, but my Pashmina is actually better quality. I think I won this round--and it might be my all-time favorite bargain.

Find #4: Brown Leather Corset Belt

Here is the original:

And here's what I found:

My find isn't quite as wide, and it does overlap where the original doesn't, but it costs just $2. The original costs $139, which means I saved 98.5%. Still genuine brown leather, made in Argentina, and cinches in nicely at the waist.

Find #3: Cross necklace

This one is a bit different. I prefer silver and copper over gold-hued jewelry, so I've modified this to what I'll actually wear.

Here is the original:

And here is what I found:

The original costs $118, and my find cost $8. That's a savings of 93%--plus it's a handmade silver pendant.

Find #2: Leather gloves

Here is the original:

And here is what I found:

The originals cost $118, and are made of leather and wool/angora. My finds were $3, and are made of leather and cashmere. Savings: 97.5%.

Find #1: Blue wooden bangle

Here is the original:

And here is what I found:

Sure, they aren't identical. But the original costs $63 on sale (from $125), and I paid $1.99. Therefore, I saved 97% of the SALE price. Still wood, still carved, still chunky, still blue.

First actual Peruvian Connection item

I came up with the idea for this blog after I found this gorgeous Peruvian Connection sweater at Goodwill. I was so taken with the quality that I ordered their catalog...and the rest is history.

The materials are 70% baby alpaca and 30% wool. The sweater is handloomed in Peru--it is amazingly detailed.

STATS:

• Price: $7.99
• Approximate retail value: $200
• Savings: 96%