awesome

you even paid the cat tax

and the photo is great

to catch them is my real test
to train them is my cause

Cheers! Looks relaxing.

I love the photo composition, too.

What country are you in? Very different options sometimes.

What’s your budget? This is probably the biggest factor in answering your questions.

The AT-LP60X or AT-LP3BK are the cheapest turntables you can buy new or refurbished that are actual turntables and not junky plastic pretending to be audio equipment. Link: https://outlet.audio-technica.com/catalog/category/view/id/1115/?product_list_order=name

Do not buy a suitcase or retro-style player. They’re literally all the same cheap Chinese part that is just junk.

For double to ten times the price, you can get vintage turntables in decent condition that are much better equipment. Especially if you can find a place to go in and shop instead of ordering online. That said, I’ve had good experiences with Reverb and eBay (but it helps if you’re a shrewd buyer). I’ve heard lots of people get great gear from Facebook, etc.

Turntable enthusiasts aren’t being snobby when they tell you to stay away from the “all-in-one” and Crosley devices that are just junk and all made using the cheap mechanism to avoid. They won’t ruin your records right away, but the stylus is rated for a very short play-time, and you shouldn’t play records with worn out styluses. More importantly, they often have playback problems, and there are no adjustments you can make.

We don’t want you to waste your money or give it to the companies trying to rip you off.

For not much more you can get an acceptable new turntable (suggestions in this thread). If you’re willing to learn a bit and search for deals, there are great turntables from the 70s-90s that require very little service to get up and running and will last you as long as you need it—or until you decide to save for a higher priced turntable.