After trying out some of the $100 mandolins, I ended up going with <a href="http://www.midmomandolin.com/'>Mid-Missouri</a>. The cheapest one lists for $510 but you can find them a bit cheaper if you dig around.
I liike it a great deal, even though they advertise it as ‘no-frills’ to save money, I actually like the look of it. And they don’t coat it with varnish so the smell and feel of the wood comes through.