I happen to be budget constrained. My main turn tables are old, but very good for their time. I think my Kenwood KD 550 was around $400 (Tax refund) it was a demonstrator and it came with a Shure V 15. So I'm going to recommend an entry level Rega or Pro-Ject. A Pro-Ject Debut Carbon just replaced my dedicated Mono TT. I found a "as new", with a Pro-Ject phono amp for substantially under $500 (But the darned shipping!" Phono cartridges at the five hundred level of turntables will probably come with a Ortofon 2m Red, which can be upgraded to an elliptical 2m Blue with a stylus change, but not cheap. The 2m Red is a acceptable cartridge. Or a Sumiko. For occasional use don't get bogged down in the esoteric BS, for your purposes elliptical or spherical isn't an issue, Orbit has a USA made line of entry level turntables, and their Orbit Theory is a consideration in the magic $999 field. Vinyl might not be your thing, it demands physical participation, it's sort of an immersive thing. If you do like records, well then, the world will be your oyster. Used record stores Discogs (a great place to learn, buy and sell) 2nd hand stores (I include antique stores here, and even flea bay...). You probably are not going to start out with rare and collectable LP's, no reason to spend crazy money. You won't need a 1K ultrasonic record cleaner.... a couple of you tube vids should get you going on basic TT set-up, record cleaning, care, etc. Enjoy!
Turntable recommendation
My wife and I are looking into getting a turntable. It would get light use as we mostly stream music via Qobuz. Current system is Bluesound Node, Yamaha CD-S303, Schiit Saga+, Schiit Vidar, NSMT Chorus 25 speakers and NSMT EXP15 sub. We do not have a record collection as of yet. Based on current gear and the fact that it will get light use. What makes sense? The $379 Yamaha CD player gets light use as well. Seems like a reasonable place to start budget-wise unless its all junk at this price point.