Ahh that's good. Are their budget turntables <$500 worth it, or are there better options out there (not buying used)?
There's a lot of bang-for-the-buck with entry level stuff from ProJect, Music Hall, Sota, Rega, etc.
But you can easily spend another $500.00 just for a quality cart/stylus!
I think the $1200.00 range is where you get the best "bang" when it comes to turntables these days but I wouldn't hesitate to jump on one of these if my budget was $500.00:
Music Hall MMF-2.2 Check out the reviews and videos on YouTube. They also have a lot of good instructional stuff for setting up your kit out there.