Light stand purchase question

Let me start off by saying that I have found the saying "buy cheap, buy twice" to be pretty true, but now that I am starting to look at light stands, I wonder if I am just throwing money away? Okay, so I am looking at light stands. Right now, I am thinking about a pair of tall, heavy stands (for future AB800's or Einsteins) and a pair of ultra-compact stands. I have been very pleased with my Manfrotto 055XProB tripod legs, but when I look at light stands, are the 12' Manfrotto stands really worth double the cost of something like the 13' Savage AC stands? Are the Manfrotto Nano's (or whatever number they have gone to) really better then the LumoPro for strobist work with speedlites?

Am I just paying for the brand name in this case, or are there real design differences that set the Manfrotto's apart from the knock-offs? Thanks.

Looks like some of the stands you have listed are cheaper than the ones I bought. Maybe I should have done more research.
I have two Impact 13 foot air cushioned light stands that I use for shooting high school basketball. They have been put up and taken down (and hit a few times) many times this past season but have held up really well. I only mount a AB 1600 (no modifiers) and aim it at the ceiling. No complaints on this end.

Set up sample pics
#1 http://i226.photobucke​t.com …tup/LightstandS​etup01.jpg

#2 Lashed to the hand rail with bungee cords

Mike

It has been my experience that the "buy cheap, buy twice" philosophy applies to light stands, too.

When purchasing a light stand, there are several factors to consider. These include, but are not limited to, footprint, number of sections, weight, and maximum capacity. The wider the footprint, the more stability. The fewer the sections, the better (the more sections you have, the thinner the top most tubing will be). Also, consider what types of strobes and modifiers you will be asking the stands to hold.

Unless I missed it, which may be the case because I only glanced quickly, the Savage and LumoPro stands do not even list their footprints. This is important information.

Another thing to consider is where you will be using them. Indoors or on location?

I have air cushioned Impact light stands they work great for me, and I just bought two more should be here soon!