Help Picking a turntable

Thanks for the heads up on the GEM Polytable and the link to the web page -- I'll look into it. 

The Absolute Sound reviews the GEM Dandy Polytable with a Shelter 201 MM cartridge. This cartridge might prove to be a good  match for the Polytable. The 201 is $310 from authorized US dealers, but I just got mine from a Japanese storefront on eBay for $167. It is easiy worth it at that price. It's also inexpensive to own as the replacement stylus (from authorized dealers) is only $100. I really need to let mine break in more, but I like what I hear so far with a full-bodied sound, real-sounding midrange, good imaging, excellent dynamics, and a surprising level of detail when it comes to ambience and decaying room reverberation.

gasherbaum,

you might also look into a table that won't be out for a month or two, the upcoming Oracle Origine.  It's on their site and has been seen at a show or two.......comes with a really great arm and an Ortofon 2M Blue for 2K Retail.......I am a longtime fan of Oracle and will possibly be trying this turntable with my desktop headphone system.......

Thanks for the info on the Oracle: I will definitely look into that.  So much great information and help from everyone on the turntable.  As an update, I took your advice and have gone to a few other stores here in town to listen to other turntables.  I have heard a couple other systems at some of the other stores here in town: a Pro-Ject Extension 10, a few other Pro-Jects that were less expensive, 2 VPI's and 2 Regas.  However, the systems I was able to hear them on were all different (the speakers, amps, preamps, phono stages, cartrdiges etc differed)  so it was hard to compare.  However, they all were an improvement over what I was hearing with digital.  I think the system at Soundings sounded the best, but that may be because the rest of the system they are using costs in excess of $150,000 and was better than the other systems and it may not be because  the turntable there (the Woodpecker) was better.  Hard to know, but I'm having a lot of fun researching it and also looking for LP's at my local stores and online.  I really like discogs.com for finding out of print and hard to find LP's.   I've already bought about 20 LP's. 

As I've been researching this and going to the various stores, I've also been learning more about cartridges and phone stages.  I didn't realize that different cartridges have different gain levels and some cartridges won't work well with some phono stages.   Yikes, I am a definite novice :)!!!     In addition to the Boulder phono stage at $13,000, Rod at Soundings thinks a ARC PH9 would fit nicely and costs $7,500.  But I can find an ARC 2SE on audiogon for a few thousand less,but have no idea which might sound better (Rod doesn't have a PH9 or a 2SE for me to try).  Rod hasn't heard either of them but says he spoke to Dave at ARC who says the PH9 would be better, but its hard to know as the PH9 just came out and the 2SE was just replaced by the Ref 3.  I've also heard a Lohman (not sure if i spelled it right) that sounded pretty good for $2000.  I may make another post just about phono stages to get some more ideas on what I need to be researching and looking for because I know so little. 

Thanks everyone for all the help.  I am very much enjoying the journey into vinyl and all the posts here have been tremendously helpful.  I greatly appreciate every one taking the time to help me out with all the amazing insight and advice.

The combinations are endless......musical phono stages are a black art compared to the tables........

The highest value per dollar phono pre in my experience  is the Parasound JC3+ @ around 3K retail.......the combo I heard it on was a Michell Orbe SE with an Ortofon Quintet Blue cartridge.......the sound was absolutely magnificent, even though the cartridge was modest....

beyond that:

You're getting into stratospheric range when it comes to phono pres in comparison with a turntable in the 3k range........the mix doesn't make sense, versus say a 7K table combo and a 2K phono pre.....

Actually, if you move up in the Oracle line to the Paris MK V, you'd be at 3200 retail on the table/arm and then could do a PH200 phono pre which
cosmetically matches the table, so it could sit next to it and not
have to be hidden away.........at 1600 retail......the corinth low output MC cartridge retails @ 2250  The transfiguration Axia is about the same....

Total for entire setup and one of the sexiest tt's around:  7K estimated...
There's no reason you should not be able to buy this brand new
for mid 5K's total, arm, cartridge, table and phonostage....maybe mix 6s if you go up to the Parasound instead of the Oracle......