$3000 is a siginificant amount of money to spend on an analog set up. There are two questions you also need to answer: Will you have to buy a phono preamp? Are you considering used or only new gear? I would spend most of my budget for the table and arm and buy a moderately priced cartridge such as a Grado or Clearaudio Aurum Beta-S. Cartridges do not last forever but a fine table and arm should go on for years and years.
Where should the money go?
I am looking to get into analog but have very limited knowledge on the subject. What component should I invest the most money? Should I start with a less expensive table, such as a Rega Planar 3, and buy a higher end cartridge and tonearm? Or is the table more important? My budget is about $2500-3000. However, I am totally lost on the subject and don't know where to start. I've talked to the local audio shoppe but would like more inputs. I would welcome any advice you could give me. Thanks alot.