I am by no means an expert on judging a fly rod. Take this for what it's worth.
I just bought a custom Sage VT2 8 weight 9'6" built by Alaska Interior Custom Rods. $315 shipped. I got to pick my own hardware and wrap design. My name was also painted on the rod. That's just a nice touch.
It's twice the rod as my White River and has definitely improved my casting.
So, in a nutshell, I saved $100 from the factory price, got a smokin rod, customized that casts like a dream!
I did my research on the guy who built the rod, he is top notch and I am planning to have another rod built by him next year.
But if a smokin deal on a factory rod came along, I'd go with that too!
Remember, I'm not a rod expert by any means!
There's no sense in being dumb unless you get to show it off once in a while...