Recommendation for analog set for $700

Sbrownnw, thanks for the advice. I see pretty solid comments on the P3. Is there other better choice out there, or that's a good one? Is it a beginner or intermediate level turntable?

Do you have a HiFi shop nearby? They would be able to put together a package deal; TT, cart, and phono preamp.
If buying used, of course condition is important, but also consider the possible damage during shipping. ie: suspension TTs do not travel well.

Google Needle Doctor. It's a good source to see what TTs are available for any budget.

I have a number of cartridges that are more than 20 years old that still work perfectly. I havent yet had a problem with suspension drying out or collapsing. Maybe thats more of a problem in the desert, but our humidity here in Florida does not cause a problem with suspension decay. So long as the stylus is still in good shape, the cartridge should play as its supposed to. You can always replace the stylus at Soundsmith.

A Sony PSX 60, 65 or 70 is a good vintage table, as well as PS6750 and PS2251. Any of the Technics SL1200 variations that have not been abused by a DJ. For your budget you can probably also pick up a Rega P3-24 with cartridge or AR ES-1.

I would go for the Music Hall MMF5.1 that Questforsound has up for $695. You will get a warranty and dealer support, that you definitely need unless you're really experienced with turntables. It comes ready to go with a cartridge and dustcover and sounds very good. I would not fool around with an Oracle or anything that needs professional setup, unless you are experienced with that sort of thing. For a phono preamp, Questforsound carries the Music Hall for like $175 and I'm sure they have others in the under-$200 range. Enjoy.