@lewm if you have the money to burn, have at it.
as for Sansui being a joke, that's news to me... at least as vintage products, they are generally well-respected. It certainly doesn't perform as a joke; as far as turntables are concerned it's still rock solid. Now, if you'd say having spent $4000 on a vintage turntable of ANY sort is joke, well then there we can agree.
... and vintage stuff is fun and nice to handle and look at... but I've moved away from vintage, overall; I don't need the clutter any more... just have a couple last older items remaining.
Indeed, turntables overall are a nostalgia trip, honestly. Maybe that's why the "fogies" you describe like them! I used to like 'em too, and still do I guess, sort of... and yes they do sound different (different) than most digital sources... noisier... and they are fun to use, I suppose...
Hey, if $4000+ turntables turn you on, all is well, in the end; you are expressing your values. However, nothing - and I mean nothing - that I've ever seen nor heard has convinced me that $4000+ for a turntable is necessary by any stretch to achieve fine audio.. other than a stretch of magical thinking. At that pricepoint, sure they're pretty and cool and fun to show off "wow" and nice to handle, and sure they sound nice but not necessary. At that point they are more like elaborate shiny toys, high performance yes for sure, and toys are fun, I get it. But one can get high-performance tt toys for far less money.
I stand by my assertions.