Here's a couple:
Check all your connections.. that goes for everything.. doublecheck the type of RAM that the motherboard supports, that the socket is right (or slot type), make sure the board supports the speed of the processor.
If you are getting a motherboard with onboard features, make sure they are actually on there.. I've gotten a few boards that said they had onboard features, but the retailer only had the no-onboard features version.
For static, it really depends on how careful you care to be. For a server, you want to be extra careful, and thouroughly ground yourself with wrist bands, ancle grounds, anti-static mats, etc. For a normal machine, you don't have to be so crazy about it. Basically, hold boards by their edges, and not their contacts or any components. "Lean" on the case, that will ground you to the case. Make sure the case is plugged in, this will ground the case to the house's ground. One of the best tip's I've ever heard is that if your in doubt, use the anti-static bag as a glove, that will protect the board, but after you use it like that, don't put components back in the bag, as a static charge may remain inside. Then, of course, there are the people who will ignore any static safety. What you have to understand about static is that you cannot see, or feel anything when you are damaging components. They will keep working like normal, then all of a sudden, glitches will start to appear, your computer will crash more often, possible data corruption, etc. Most of the time, a static shock won't fry a component, or render it useless, but instead will create havoc inside the chips.