Hi, Elizbeth:
"The MAIN thing is to buy what you find, instead of a list you have to buy"
Okay, but the gent may not have a friend like you hanging around, so... given your well-known expertise, how about some more specific guidance for him? - e.g., what would you be looking for in a good set of phono stuff, what relative portion of your budget would you expect to spend, say, on tonearm vs table vs cartridge in this discounted price range; would you even consider buying a used cartridge as a novice, and even, god forbid, not in list form, what are some examples of good deals you might have seen around in the past?