why are you willing to get a tt. is it just so you could listen to your existing lps? or do u plan to expand your lps collection which is nowadays very expensive hobby. in former case, even 242 with an audio technica cart would be good and well within your budget. ( tt will of course be old used and watch for the abused ones).
best way to get a 242 would be to talk to any lp enthusiast in your city. or in case some old vintage electronics repair guy is around, see if he has any for sale. these guys often have many old tts stacked away.
in latter case, getting a good tt might be a good idea by extending your budget. bigger reason being 242 has inbuilt phono stage and isnt very 'component system' upgrade friendly. its mostly a plug and play device. do not forget to set your tt arm and cart up. find out some old times repairman who knows his tts well.
