In the studio C-stands are hard to beat unless you go with and overhead system.
For location lighting, I've bee really happy with
Photogenic Talon 13' Stands. They're heavy enough to use without sandbags, the risers are air cushioned and they seem indestructable. I've had mine for years, thrown'em around, piled stuff on top of'em... they're hardly even scratched. Their biggest drawback is the ~4' minimum height. $90 at B&H
The lazy leg stands John mentioned are pretty attractive, I just never sprung for a set.
You might consider a couple of small lightweight stands like
this little Manfrotto 3353. It's a 75" stand that collapses to 19", which is also it's minimum height. Good when you need light and compact; not a substitute for standard stands. Perfect when you want to take a nothing but a portable flash but want to get it off camera. I use one with a Metz 60CT, radio slave and an umbrella bracket. Pretty handy.
Chip