If there’s one thing that is indisputable in fashion today, it’s that accessories matter — and their importance has nearly eclipsed that of actual clothing. What’s more, as demand increases each season, the prices for the “it” bag of the moment can run toward the stratosphere. At the top end of the shopping spectrum, that’s all well and good. But the effect is that the price of mid-range brands is increasing, too. Starter bags — those pieces that get noticed and get you hooked on a brand — now begin at $600.

“Designers who three seasons ago were selling bags for $300 or $350 are now at a $500 level,” the owner of the accessories boutique Verve, Wendy Ginsberg, said.

The pricing increase has created a gap in the market, not just in supply but in creativity. Between $30 and $300 there are fewer attractive pieces to be purchased than below $30 and above $300. But as with any gap in the market, there’s always someone who can fill it.

The president of one such brand, Tano, Steve Giner, says that keeping bags at a price that working women can afford is a matter of knowing how to work the supply chain. “We’re buying raw materials and contract tanning it, as opposed to buying finished materials. We’ll buy a container load of New Zealand sheepskin and say to the tannery, ‘This is how we want it finished.’ And we usually get a better price.”

Tano attracts a young, hip customer at stores ranging from Verve and M Sonii to Bergdorf Goodman and Barney’s. “We sort of reverse engineer, so we can hit certain price points,” he said. “If there is a certain detail that we’re after, and it is starting to look really expensive, we’ll start substituting materials. It’s a trade-off but it’s worth it.”

“It’s a real conundrum for young designers. When they go to the garment district to get their stuff made, they don’t have the quantity to get a low price,” Verve’s Ms. Ginsberg, said.

While the major fashion houses and accessories brands can produce their bags en masse in China for relatively cheap costs, independent designers have to pay much higher prices to have their products made. The independents are making smaller quantities and buying smaller lots of materials; as a result, they pay more for fabrics, trim, and hardware. And while a major house can produce a bag for $100, then sell it on Fifth Avenue for upward of $900, an independent brand can’t charge in the $900 range until it becomes well recognized.

Another independent line, Babee D, was created by Dayme, who was recently honored by Handbag Designer 101, a Web site dedicated to finding undiscovered independent handbag makers. Dayme — who was nominated for an award for best handbag in overall quality and design — sells bags at Nordstrom, Fred Segal, Verve, and Calypso Christian Celle for between $200 and $650. She finds an imbalance between design and quality. “What I find when I walk in the stores is that everyone is playing it safe. You have the same look, and they all charge the higher price. But, at the same time, I know that type of leather should not be that price,” Dayme said.

Her bags are made in China as a means of offsetting the high costs of Italian leather. “It’s the price, once again. If you make them elsewhere, it goes over the price points you’re trying to achieve,” she said.

Boutiques such as Verve and the East Village clothing and accessories boutique M Sonii are hearing the budget-conscious shopper’s plea. Ms. Ginsberg says most boutiques mark up their items between 2.2% and 2.4%. Maima Sonii, of M Sonii tries to keep the markup relatively low, around 2%. Bags at her shop — from brands such as Sabina, Tano, Hobo, and Bamga, as well as her own designs — retail for between $150 and $300.

“The bag market has changed,” Ms. Sonii said. “Designers are doing two types of bags: high-end and medium-range. The girl who can’t afford to buy a bag for $2,000 will buy the Tano bags for $200 or $150, and that’s where we come in.”

“Our mission right now is really trying to find good bags in the $300 to $500 range,” Ms. Ginsberg, who carries moderately priced designers like Hayden-Harnett, Rachel Nasvik, and Babee D, said.

There are other ways to find handbags at prices in the low hundreds. The off-price retailers, such as Century 21, Loehmann’s, and Filene’s Basement, offer discounts on brand names, but what you gain in savings, you may lose in creativity and style — if you manage to elbow your way to the top labels. Another classic alternative is the sample sale, a staple for New York women seeking creative pieces at low prices. But again, what you make up in savings, you may lose in time: Most sample sales occur during the workday. And sneaking out of the office to hit a sample sale isn’t exactly the way to the top.

M Sonii: 220 E. 9th St., between Second and Third avenues, 212-253-6464.

Verve: 353 Bleecker St., between West 10th and Charles streets, 212-691-6516.