Hey Tam, I'm creating AuthenticStartups to solve this very problem. I conceived this idea when selling a small startup of my own and thinking that there's got to be a better way.
Thanks for tip. You're absolutely right, most of the first once were automated and totally crap. This was evidenced by the fact that they didn't contain the test "I AM REAL" statement which was intended to filter out the spammers.
I'll wait it out a bit longer before calling it quits on these sites.
I think you're right with dribbble. I've also been looking into Behance.net and Creattica. Have you had good experiences with directly approaching designers?