Audiophile Noob

Hello dear tom's guide users... it's been a while since I used this forum and am more than happy to come back to this community! If you know the answer to the first part (1), second (2) or both, just put the number in front of your answer so they don't get mixed.. it would start looking messy...

I'm trying to purchase my first semi decent turntable setup. Although I don't have the budget for audiophile grade components, I'd like to get my feet wet and experience my vinyl collection with a better quality stereo system than what I have (which isn't saying much). What I've been using for...