I just purchased a VPI Traveler and an iFi iPhono preamp a month ago. It was my housewarming present to myself for the new apartment in Abuja, Nigeria. I went with the Traveler because I can use it in the U.S. and abroad; it has a 110 / 220 power supply. So far, I really like it a lot. The iFi phono stage gives a ton of flexibility regarding choice of cartridge. Because I blew past my budget with all of the accessories, I went cheap for the cartridge. I started out with an AT95E but did not really like it too much. The stylus upgrade to the AT95SA has been a million times better. Will probably upgrade to a Soundsmith next year or something, but enjoying everything a lot right now.
The gotcha with all of this are the billion accessories that you need to get that can add significantly to the cost of everything. So far, I have also purchased a record cleaner (Spin Clean), brush, stylus cleaner, stylus brush, alignment grid, turntable mat, and two pairs of interconnects (TT > phono and phono > amplifier). I also want to get a cover, but cannot stomach spending $300 for a piece of acrylic. I found "Some Guy On The Internet" who can machine acrylic for $80 so I'm going to try measuring everything myself and hoping that it works.
I was really scared of buying used because I have read some horror stories, and because there is little that I can do from Nigeria to return everything. For that reason, I went with a demo model from Music Direct. They have been great to work with and the turntable arrived in perfect condition.
Do you have a budget in mind? That would help out a lot.