If it was me, I would definitely look at used gear, you are probably thinking the same thing. I would try to find a good Sony ES integrated amp or receiver, a Rega TT and some Monitor Audio bookshelf speakers. I have not searched what is currently available but I would think you could find those pieces close to your budget. If you wanted to have some extra fun you could try an AR XA turntable (and learn how to update it) and some EPI speakers (and learn how to recap the crossover). You would get a lot of help on the forums.
Good luck and have fun!