Should I buy a VPI SCOUTMASTER. I OWN 25 RECORDS.

beware of ideologues. MC vs. MM, digital vs analog, direct drive vs. belt drive - all depends on the implementation, not the format per se. 

choose the one that gives you mental energy and focus.  

for god's sake forget about the pops and clicks. A decent phono stage will eliminate 98% of them. 

VPI tables AND tonearms are a very good value. Unipivots can be set up well.  

good sound will always be expensive. 

"VPI sucks" is silly and false, and doesn’t come out of any of the comments that I can see except for maybe one post that is short on data and substance. if you want to get good advice from internet forums you need to grasp the underlying principles involved. for instance, the VPI Classic and Rega RP8 are very different beasts based on different design principles, each with their own pros and cons. there’s no simple "this one is better." is a Stratocaster "better" than a Les Paul? a Ferrari "better" than a Porsche? Depends on who you are and what you want.

Judging from your responses I’m beginning to think you may, in fact, be better off ditching analog. if you do want to stick with a turntable an older used VPI might be a good choice - the original Aries has a very good reputation (can’t be made today at anywhere near its old price point) and there’s one on sale here on a’gon right now though probably above your budget. FWIW I have a modded Aries 1 and a modded Rega Planar II and there’s no comparison between them. The Rega is great for my ’second system’, the VPI is good enough that I don’t know how to replace it without spending megabucks.

Ferrari "better" than a Porsche?

No.

Heh. I should have left it at the guitars.