Pioneer Direct Drives - Now and then?

In case it wasn't clear, I don't know how many LPs I'll end up buying, but buying inexpensively to learn whether I like this part of the audiophile hobby for myself or not is a good idea. 

"Buy a decent rig that won't hurt the albums and see what happens" is a good pattern.

The end of the P-mount, and the convenience of CD's, improvement in DAC's and availability of streaming services + internet radio have all contributed to me not turning to LPs.  That plus my apartment lifestyle.

Even this modest expense would have to be put on hold.

@erik_squires

Also agree with Chakster about the PL-70LII, which I have the pleasure of owning. It’s an excellent table, but what most sets it apart from similar ’80s DD tables is the superb 12" tonearm. This is very closely related to the one used in the Exclusive P3 and P10, except is has static balance instead of dynamic balance. Some would even argue this is preferable.

While the 70LII will exceed your budget, the smaller PL-50LII and PL-30LII probably won’t. They also feature a coreless motor and basically the same tonearm in 10" length, which comes with S-type and straight armpipes and several counter weights. So you can accommodate just about any cartridge and sonically it won’t be embarrased by even the most exotic MC cartridges.

It would be a great way to get started on vinyl (again). You won’t stop at 5 records.....

PS - If you have a 2nd turntable you haven't used in years and want to donate it to a good cause, I'm a very good cause. ;-)

twoleftears, Clearly, you are correct.  The SL1200 Mk7 does have a coreless motor.  Basically, I couldn't imagine how they could sell it for so little and still retain the coreless motor, or why that would be a wise marketing decision.  Anyway, the SL1200 Mk7 rises in my esteem.

I have the Pioneer PL530

it was my first turntable.  Sort of. 
Interesting how I came to own it.  
After looking for TT’s in thrift stores for something that looked of decent quality, and not finding anything, and not knowing much about TT’s at the time, I just about gave up. Then one day, while walking to my car at the apartment complex I lived in,  I found a PL530 thrown in the garbage by someone.  
I took it out, cleaned it up.  It appeared to work. It was missing a cart and counterweight. Found the counterweight on eBay and ordered an entry Grado cart.  It then sat for several years after that since I lacked the resources to buy a phono pre, then one day I decided to buy an entry Music Hall phono pre unit. 
I wasn’t blown away compared to my Digital set up, so I let it sit. Several more years past and I decided to try vinyl again.  This time I bought a VPI scout with a dynavector 20x2L and dynavector phono pre.  Mkiii I do believe. Now I was starting to get all the hubbub. I then plugged the Pioneer into the Dynavector phono pre, and while it wasn’t quite as good as the VPI (owing to the cart mostly) I was well impressed. 

Now it sports a Nagaoka MP200 and still feeds the dynavector pho on pre in a side system.