A new thread at Search Engine Watch Forums named What is the most YOU'VE paid for a static text link has a poll asking that question. Right now, the responses to the poll are pretty much all over the place. But the discussion about the value of a text link is intriguing. Bottom line of the thread is that as long as there is positive ROI on the link buy, then go for it. It is true that it is hard to realize the direct value of each link you buy, unlike with PPC, but it can be measured on a level better then print ads.