i originally posted this on another forum, but got no replies. hopefully someone here can help.

i should start by saying that i know almost nothing about turntables. however, i recently purchased a few semi-rare 45's and i'm very eager to listen to them.

i had originally thought of buying a rega p3, but then i remembered that i have no money. no bother though because i'm not sure i'm ready to put alot into a turntable right now anyway.

i've heard alot about collectors using fisher-price turntables to demo records. i'm not sure that a fisher-price table is what i'm looking for, but i am a bit interested in suitcase models and the like. something with everything needed already included. i'm a little reluctant to deal with preamps and speakers and whatever else (for the time being, at least).

in any case, i have a few concerns. given my interest in toy turntables, obviously my first concern is affordability. several hundred dollars may be a budget turntable for alot of people, but it's nowhere near budget for me.

my second (and most important) concern is that i find a table that doesn't destroy my records. this is the main reason that i haven't just bought something on a yardsale. i'm a bit worried that a cheaper table may not be safe.

third, if at all possible, i'd like to find a table with readily available (and affordable) replacement parts. i've been avoiding the vintage portable turntables on ebay for this reason. i'm not sure which models you can still find needles and umm... other things for.

lastly, if i've not already ruled out every turntable ever made, it'd be nice to find something with a very simple design. the simplicity of the rega p3 was one of the big selling points for me (or would have been had i not been too poor to buy it). this in't exactly a requirement - far from it, actually - but bad aesthetic is something that i'd gladly avoid if the opportunity presented itself.

so, are there any newer portable affordable models out there? are there any vintage models i should be looking for? perhaps something that doesn't physically hurt to look at? anything really...?

thanks for any advice, and sorry for the long post.

ps: sound quality is also (obviously) a bit important, but i didn't include that as i know i won't be getting audiophile quality out of such a restricted budget. my main interest is hearing my music without destroying it.

my only problem is that when i go out to thrift stores and pawn shops to look for something, i don't know how to tell if it can take a standard cartridge. i don't know which cartridges are considered standard. i don't even really know what the cartridge and headpiece are.

i'm 100% completely new to this, so can you please go into a bit more detail on how to look for these things? or do you know of any websites with a buying guide or something like that? i'm an idiot.

thanks again.

i've no clue who he is.

>Do you do listening sessions with the Fisher Price Table?

absolutely.

try some of these searches

turntable
record player
antiskating
LP turntable
tone arm
magnetic cartridge.

I have two turntables right now, a Sony ps-454 and a Dual 510. they are both excellent.

right, tony?