I totally agree with Lily27--shop around. The hardware store (rope), a feed store (crops), military surplus (handcuffs) and even the local grocery store (clothespins and ginger) will get you lots of bondage gear for not a lot of cash.

Sure there are some things (harnesses or leather gear) that are expensive. It pays to shop around--sometimes you can get deals online. I would suggest first going to a sex-positive store (Toys in Babeland has two NY stores) and talking to the folks there for suggestions about what to look for, what are the best manufacturers, etc. Most of the workers are pretty passionate about good sex and are happy to help.

I'm not familiar with the NYC scene but the Society of Janus site lists a few local resources. Try http://www.soj.org/main.html

Good luck and best wishes.