Vinyl***What If***

Yeah, tape is very tough. I would want mostly but not exclusively what in fact was never released, but there are recordings, I know that. Concerts by certain artists. But I will get reel-to-reel deck soon enough anyway, I will listen to compilations recorded off the vinyl I have and whatever master tape dubs I can get. Good for me that I am quite selective and don't need many tapes or records. I only listen what I like best.
As far as upgrades, I do it rarely but when I do it I try to jump as high as I can. Sure, there are other things to spend money on too or simply save it just in case.

Do i think there are good values out there to get magic or near magic?  Sure - in vintage TTs.  An old AR XA, with the bearing replaced and a universal arm mount machined onto it (there are lots), can be very high quality. Old arms, can be had sorta cheap, but the cheapest are (duh) the fiddly ones.   I have a Syrinx. Awesome. Impossible.  The market speaks.
Another great old table is a Logic DM101. better IMO than a Linn LP12.  But you need a good arm for it.  or, get a bargain basement Linn.  Find a dealer with a used complete setup (TT, arm, cart) for say $1000.  They exist, i bought one as a backup. I have no idea if you feel that is affordable, but for an excellent table, arm and MC cartridge, its pretty cheap.
I hear Schiit plan to introduce a "turnkey" table too, with a uni-pivot arm.  Mike knows his stuff. Company can be a little hard to deal with, but hey.
Now, might you find a freind with such a beast stored in the attic that he/she might loan to you so you can find out for yourself?  Of buy a well-sorted system that you can sell for what you paid if you decide its not worth it.
But, especially if you have a closetful of records, and a decent system, you will find that it is.

@clearthink said:

"You sound like someone in need of serious expert counseling, therapy, and analysis and I hope you seek such solution, remedy, and resolution of you're disturbance which sounds alarming to me."

You are probably correct, but there is an old saying amongst us old physicians (I do a lot a psychiatry) and it goes something like this: "You can't cure a man who enjoys his disease."

“There is something about the whole ritual of finding a record cleaning it playing each side through that’s somewhat more satisfying then skipping through tracks with a push button or finger swipe. You put a record side on and tend to listen through the whole side discovering tracks you never knew about. You tend to listen in a more involving way, then with tidal for example. You don’t tend to skip parts of a song or the last 20 second to get to the next like you may do with digital (mostly I find I do that sort of stuff when streaming).”

this right here, it’s the experience which makes it more enjoyable than the steady stream of sonos background music playing through my home and office all day. 

You can try to cure masochism, though. Odds are not good, but you can try.