You've seen them at Urban Outfitters. Those cute, little, brightly colored Crosley turntables. And they're only $79! Only one problem: They're terrible. They don't just sound bad. They are built so poorly that you'll find your records playing slightly slower or faster before long. And what's more, record geeks tell me the tonearms on the players are so heavy they'll wear down your vinyl. You wouldn't cook your Thanksgiving pies in a Holly Hobbie Electric Bake oven. Don't let your records get ground down on a toy turntable. If you want portable, look for a used Califone, which you can find online for as little as $50. (Audiophiles will complain about these as well, but I think they're being too picky.) If you want a separate turntable that plugs into a receiver, go retro. My Dual 1219 ($160 from a Russian dude I found on Craiglist) works perfectly fine and it has a wood-grained finish.