Putting together turntable rig

If you are willing to DIY, you can get some pretty impressive results. https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/8367 This was DIY with a few basic parts (motor, bearing, platter) from Chris Brady's Teres Audio https://www.teresaudio.com/ They are now out of production but this will give you some idea just how good you can do. These things are out there, and just as important this shows you can pretty much build your own from more or less off the shelf parts. The bearing and platter from an otherwise done for table, for example, can be combined with a motor and DIY plinth or table into a pretty darn good turntable.  

If you want to try something like this my old Teres motor is just sitting in the shop, kept as backup but the Verus motor is so bullet-proof.... Teres punches way above its weight. 

So you are looking at about a $10k budget to start. I've done this enough to know there really is no right or wrong way, not at all like people want to make you think. Still you have the right idea, just need to shift the priorities a little.  

The turntable itself isn't the most important element, but it is the one you will use the most, see the most, appreciate the most. So if there is a turntable that really gets you going then go for it. Even if it is the most expensive one you can always run it with a lesser arm and cart and upgrade those later like you said.   

The Conqueror arm gets a big recommendation from me. You read the comments about matching arms and cartridges. Read Mark Baker's informative article about that. I am with Mark. Why would you buy any arm that fussy and limit yourself when you can buy a superior Origin Live arm instead and never give these things a moments thought? Let the other guys fret and fuss over it. That's what I do. Wonderful arm. Never give a moments thought to compliance, mass, or any of that. Simply not necessary with a properly designed arm.  

Another huge point in favor of OL, the integral phono lead. You can easily spend $5k just on the phono interconnect. What a waste! The Conqueror with its integral wire eliminates a lot of signal-distorting connections. This alone is another huge plus.  

Table and arm are as close to forever items as you can get. This alone makes it worth the extra to get as good as you can. Mine's been in use a good 17 years now. My system has grown around it like I cannot believe. That is a long time to still be happy, and it only happened because I stretched and put a lot into it.  

That said, the fact remains that like I said there is no one right or wrong way. Keith Herron makes a fantastic phono stage. Well, he did. If you had the chance to buy a VTPH2A I would leap all over it, screw the budget, screw the table, you can always get those later. These are hard to come by. Point being not to try and get one, but to keep an eye out for all the possibilities. Sounds like you have a plan to keep at it, and that is the right idea, because slow and steady wins this race. https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/8367