I have no business giving a comment in this thread. I'm generally frugal.
In my [somewhat limited] lifetime of experiences, my favorite wheels have invariably been found on donor bikes for which I paid nearly nothing. These are surprise finds after the crud and shredded tires are peeled away, revealing a surprisingly nice wheel beneath. Bonus!
I've also built a few sets of wheels that are pretty terrific for my purposes. I guess that my standards aren't high enough...