I am looking at buying an ak and know absolutely nothing about them.  i dont want to spend alot of money so what brand should i look for.  How much do the cheaper ones usually cost.  I am looking for a reliable yet inexpensive ak.  thanks

Starts at 300ish for a Romanian SAR, and doubles for several other options with way nicer finish/fit details but only slightly tighter groupings.
AKs come in several calibers, usually either 7.62x39, 5.45x39 or 5.56x45.
What kind of shooting do you have in mind for it?

most of my shooting will be just fun at the range, no long distance or anything.  i just want an ak to add to the collection. thanks

I would suggest one of the SAR series.  Inexpensive, and they work great.  Not the best looking, but that can come later once you have become a full on addict.

I am a HUGE fan of the SAR 2(5.45X39), but many "traditionalists" will point you to the SAR 1(7.62X39).  Neither is a bad choice.

A Chinese MAK 90 will also run in approximately the same price range as a SAR, but they have a thumbhole stock.  Converting to a pistol grip configuration(with the appropriate number of US parts), will raise the price, of course.

Good luck, and let us know what you end up with

SAR1, 4moa, dirt cheap ammo, fine for plate shoots and blasting stuff with 7.62x39 125gr ammo.
SAR2, 2.5moa, 5.45x39 60gr ammo, best plinker.

Yea, if you look at a SAR make sure the front site is alighned correctly, if it is a little off... no worries. If it is extremely canted, pass it up. You just need to use your good judgement on what is acceptable. Usually a small cant does not affect preformance. My sar has a *slight* cant, but I dont really notice it anymore, and it is still a shooter.

Also, look for a canted gas block, it will look as though the tube above the barrel is twisted. This is not cool.

Check the barrel and make sure it has not been over torqued. A crooked barrel is easy to spot. Dont be mislead, these are not extremely common problems (except the canted sight, its the most common) but you can be sure that a SAR is a great rifle.

The action can be smoothened greatly by a little polishing and militec-1 treatment.

If the rifle looks a little nasty, dont worry, sars are beaters. You can refinish it with automotive engine paint an a oven.

Sar = good choice.