Reason for buying old/classic turntables

I have had 3 tt's thru here in the past year. My somewhat stock Lenco just happened to be the best sounding, most musical and involving of the bunch. Everyone that heard the 3 says the same.

Is it the best? No. Does it do what I want it to do, and sound damn good at doing it? Yes.

And coincidence of coincidences, I just missed on a Sony PS-X9 which was up for auction... wonder when I am going to see one of those again...

Look, the basic technology of draging a needle through a groove is essentially the same as it was when Edison did it with tin foil. Sure all the stuff is more sophisticated, more refined, better sounding, etc., but those improvements are based mainly on the associated parts: carts, wiring and amplification. A turntable is still just a wheel on a bearing. There is no reason a TT from forty years ago shouldn't sound as good as a table built today. With the possible exception of some of the repeling magnets even the bearings are esentially the same. Its not magic new technology.

T bone : I play and compare right now in front of me my TD 124 MK2 on original plinth with original SME 3009/ShureM95ED nothing modified since 1966 when my father bought it AND my VPI TNT highly upgraded/modified to extreme limit with Graham Phantom/ Allaerts Finish/Tron/Purist on seismic platform.
Honestly the Thorens rig is very very close in definition and is even more dynamicaly involving than my recent high end turntable wich is sounding very good. And I did not modified anything yet. The TD 124 IS a great piece of engineering AND for sure is in the same ballpark as the actual turntables, even NOT modified.

Jloveys, I can only hope that my idler project, which awaits in the everlasting projecthood limbo, will perform as well as your 124 once completed. I now have a second project also awaiting, and a stock Diatone LT-1 to play with over the holidays. I have reasonably high hopes for the Diatone, but it too eventually may have to be re-plinthed.