From Mrs. Summerson (Ammy):

In the real world, there's Evangline's in Old Sacramento. From September through Halloween, they have the costume mansion open, and it's no crappy Spirit shop. Nope. They have lots of nice stuff. They have multiple styles of parasols. They have pocket watches for $12.95. They have gloves for men and women. You won't find a Dickens costume there, but you will find accessories. My personal favorite find on this year's pilgrimage was 50's style crinolines for $14. The best price I'd found online was $38, so this was a treat. Also, I found the gorgeous pair of heels I was wearing yesterday. It's a weird mix of traditional crappy Halloween costumes and some really nice stuff. In years past, they've gotten used tail coats from the local tux shops and sold them off for $39 apiece.

As for online, there's a lot.

For the gents, I've had excellent luck with the prices and selection at the Wild West Mercantile. Beyond that, they've got great customer service. I once had a question on which size to order, so I called up, and they got out a measuring tape and gave me exact measurements so that I could choose with confidence. Get on their mailing list for deals on shipping and frequent sales. Their Bargain Corral almost always has a nice pair of trousers or a non-pointed waistcoat.
www.wwmerc.com/cgi-bin/Category.cgi

The boots mentioned yesterday are Justin Lacers paddock boots. Searching for Justin Lacer gets the best results on eBay:
search.ebay.com/search/search.dll
The beauty thing about these boots is that they come in a range of colors. Right now there are blue, burgandy, black, purple and red available. Cynthia got a pair in green. They're good sturdy boots that look period and won't leave your feet in agony after a day of fair.

Corsets. I have had the pleasure of a Dark Garden corset in the past, but I shrunk out of it, and couldn't possibly afford their current rates. At Baycon one year, I stumbled across the chap who sells Timeless Trends corsets. For $99, it's the most well-made item you'll ever find in its price range. It's an underbust corset, which isn't technically correct, but it does give you much more of the Victorian silhouette than you can achieve with any other inexpensive option.
www.timeless-trends.com/
Once in a blue moon, they have clearance corsets for as little as $49, but don't count on it happening in time for Dickens.

As previously mentioned, Cumberland River Sutlery has dresses in waist size 24-50 inches. My simple dress was just $99, and looks to be just the sort of workhorse I need.
shop.vendio.com/victoriana...e/home.html
For Dickens, the simple day/camp dress is best. Do not get a ball gown.

Beyond that, scrounge through your local thrift store for shawls and scarves and other touches to make your costumes come to life. Remember, you need a hat and coat/shawl to leave the warehouse and go out into the rest of the fair (because it's cold outside silly!). Don't forget about those details when you're putting things together.