Home Depot and Lowes. Pick thru the stack of lumber to get the best you can find. Accept some flaws, then go do it again and again until you have enough (they put out a new stack of lumber every 2-3 days here). You will have to scarf a plank sometimes, or waste 30% of a board. A 2x4x8 was $6.77 yesterday which equals 5.28 bd ft therefore $1.28/bd ft. I expect to get ~30% actual strips out of a board (cutting around knots, scarfing, and actual ripping). So a finished set of strips = $4.27/ bd ft. Still worth doing compared to $10.10 if you count your time free and you still have to waste some of the board in ripping.
If I had the money it would be worth it to buy clear 20' boards - just not possible at any cost in Texas, that I know.
Think about buying strips @ 0.65/ lineal foot (1/4"). It takes 48 to make a board foot = 48x0.65 = $31.20/ bd ft.

Home Depot and Lowes are the only choice for me.

Marc

: Can someone tell me where I can buy cedar strips or cedar lumber
: for building a kayak? I live in Tacoma Washington and the only
: clear straight grain lumber I can find they want $10.10 a board
: foot. And I still have to rip it myself. It seems as thought
: clear cedar just doesn't exist int the north west. I have been
: looking for a source for 5 months and I am so frustrated I am
: ready to abandon the whole project. I tried tight knot cedar but
: it breaks to easily at the knots.