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This small, eclectic store cluttered with every kind of bag, from leather hobos and beaded clutches to studded doctor's totes, has been where some come to buy, others to browse, and others to scope out up-and-coming handbag designers for their ideas. There are a few big names like Cynthia Rowley, but the shop mainly features local designers and smaller international labels from Italy, Brazil, Spain, and Japan. The selection of jewelry and accessories—watches, belts, hats, scarves—is attractive across the board, but the bags are the primary draw. And because Verve carries only one or two of each brand’s bags, merchandise turns around quickly. Husband and wife team Steve and Wendy Ginsburg own this store and another location on Columbus (as well as the shoe store of the same name down the block). The esthetic—funky and girly—is the same in the shoe store, where boutique shoemakers like Bettye Muller, Rafe, and Chie Mihara tempt customers as they lounge on big, blue vinyl ottomans. — Kathryn Williams

Sales at the end of January and June last up two months and offer 20 to 80 percent off, with deeper discounts given the longer the merchandise sticks around.