Should I buy a VPI SCOUTMASTER. I OWN 25 RECORDS.

Regarding cartridges you will always pay more for MC, no matter what.

This is very important for a newbie!

It is obvious that MC has very short life span and stylus is not user replaceable. Even if your MC cartridge has reasonable retail price this is not the end, you will need an expensive MC phono stage, Headamp or SUT to use with this type of cartridges. You can simple double the budget for this reason. It can be a mess even with cables, because Low Output signal from MC cartridge is much more sensitive to the cable shielding etc.

And more important:
If a newbie can't handle tonearm (which is a common problem for people who never use turntables before) you can destroy your MC cartridge in the first week. Even experienced users can make a mistakes.  

With MM/MI cartridge you can just buy additional stylus for reasonable price to install it by yourself in 10 seconds and your broken cartridge is back to work just like new.

With MC cartridge you will have to ship it back to the factory via your distributor, you will pay again nearly 60% of the retail price to get new cartridge from them (only if manufacturer offering such support program), or you will ship it to someone like SoundSmith for re-tip or refurbishing. It will cost you a lot and you will have to wait about 3-5 month (depends on retipper).

This is why MC is not for a newbie. And actually it's not better than decent MM or MI.

This is not a philosophy or bla bla bla. This is real problem.
It's about usability and service.
 

With exception of Soundsmith carts, the typical replacement stylus for an MM/MI cart is 80% the cost of the cartridge. And no, MM carts do not last longer than MCs. Stylus life is mostly dictated by user habits and diamond profile. A Shibata diamond will last about 500 hours before it begins to cause record wear. For an elliptical, it's about 250 hours. Other than AT and SS carts, very few MMs come with an advanced stylus profile. I've owned a $900 Soundsmith MI, its performance was a joke compared to a $750 Hana SL. Yes, the SL costs more in the long run but for those with a deserving system, the difference is worthwhile. 

Spidey senses say this thread is a fake. OP's intentions are elsewhere.

Not sure how appropriate the word Scoutmaster is these days. 😬

@geoffkait , you just couldn't help the bankruptcy reference could you?

With exception of Soundsmith carts, the typical replacement stylus for an MM/MI cart is 80% the cost of the cartridge.

Some of his MI cartridges does not have user replaceable styli. It is factory replaceable, but still at the lowest cost compared to MC cartridges from other manufacturers. Not sure were did you get 80% from, watch factory tour and listen to him. Service for his own cartridges is the cheapest from him.

And no, MM carts do not last longer than MCs. Stylus life is mostly dictated by user habits and diamond profile.

If you refurbish MC it will be no longer the same cartridge you’ve been using before.

You can buy as many styli for one MM cartridge as you can get to swap them in 10 seconds by yourself and this is the same cartridge you can use forever this way. And you don’t have to destroy original design by sending them to re-tipper who will glue different cantilever or different diamond.

A Shibata diamond will last about 500 hours before it begins to cause record wear. For an elliptical, it’s about 250 hours. Other than AT and SS carts, very few MMs come with an advanced stylus profile.

All my MM cartridges comes with the best possible profiles:

-MicroRidge for Grace LEVEL II and F14
-Stereohedron for all Stanton/Pickering top models
-Vital III for ADC TRX II (IM)
-Twin Tip for Grado XTZ Signature (MI)
-Micro Tracer for Garrott P77
-FineLine for Ortofon M20Fl Super.
-Shibata for Victor carts
-MicroLine for AT as you said

... i could continue with many more MM/MI

Don’t forget JISO SAS (Super Analog Stylus) designed for MM cartridges and made even for vintage models, JICO SAS available with Boron, Ruby and Sapphire cantilevers for various MM classics.

I’ve owned a $900 Soundsmith MI, its performance was a joke compared to a $750 Hana SL. Yes, the SL costs more in the long run but for those with a deserving system, the difference is worthwhile.

Maybe it was a "joke" in your system with your tonearm or it's just a personal preferences which is OK. In my opinion Excel Sound is a joke, watch factory tour and think about some $23 000 cartridges they are making now. Classic vintage MC are so much better than Hana even in the same price under $800 (better cantilevers, better diamonds, much more advanced design).

Some of my favorite LOMC cartridges are Miyajima Kansui, Miyabi Standard, Fidelity-Research FR-7fz, Ikeda 9c III ... and i would not recommend any of them to the newbie with 25 records in collection and with zero experience with some of the best MM or MI, because if something will happen with those MC it will be very expensive or almost impossible to return them back to original specs.

Some killer MM are within $700 range and styli are about $300