I vote for the Criagslist option and look into the following sites for info and philosophy on wheel building. "The Bicycle Wheel” by Jobst Brandt is a good reference in addition to what you can find on the web.
http://sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html
http://www.wellspokenwheels.com/wsw1.htm
http://www.crazyrides.com/en/mastermechanic/part3.htm
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/Wheels.asp