Personally I have no problem with the stuff they sell at BicycleDesigner.com
Sure some of it is cheap, but some is decent for the price. Yes the built bikes are kind of ridiculous with all the cheap baubles they've slapped on, but you can get a decent start there for not a lot of scratch.
You could buy one of their frames and a springer fork for around 200 and put the rest together from scavenged parts...
also check out
www.nirve.com for some decent parts
and these guys
http://www.chubbyscruisers.com/ have some great built cruisers that i would buy with no hesitation
check this rat rod stretch cruiser out... its under 300
http://www.chubbyscruisers.com/shop/...iser-p-47.html
here's an ultra cool one some tool on this forum commutes on
