You need a few things to get started and the first order of business is choosing a receiver OR an integrated amplifier (a receiver minus the tuner part) AND speakers.

Vintage receivers and integrateds usually have phono connections because that was common back then. Modern receivers and integrateds usually offer them as options. To be clear, the RCA connections on the back of the receiver or amp aren't compatible with turntables UNLESS it specifically says PHONO at the connection. You'll need a moving magnet (MM as opposed to MC) connection and again, that was common on vintage stuff. You can still add a phono to an integrated or receiver that doesn't have the connection, but it will be an outboard device that would simply connect to the RCA connectors on the back of the receiver or integrated.

Next up is the speakers. You have a choice between floor standing speakers and monitor speakers (bookshelf speakers). In general, floor models offer deeper bass and prefer larger rooms...like living rooms. Monitor speakers usually offer better sonics in smaller rooms...say bedroom size or small apartment living rooms, but won't get the bottom octave without a sub. Do NOT dismiss the advantage of monitors for the deeper bass of floor models if you don't have a large room. Monitors usually give you more for your money in quality over quantity.

Whichever way you go, have a mental picture of where you are going to put the speakers already decided before you look to buy any. This will force you to be realistic about what to buy. Floor speakers pushed up against the wall will NOT sound good and monitors placed in a bookshelf will NOT sound good either. You'll want to geive the speakers a foot or two at least from the wall and of course, if you go with monitors, you'll need to buy speaker stands for them.

Ebay and Audiogon immediately come to mind as where to start looking. You might also browse through Audio Advisor to get a feel for brands and associated accesories like speaker stands to start getting a handle on things.

Set a budget and bounce off what you are considering in this thread and we can hopefully give you some feedback on the things you are looking at. Some brands to consider for electronics is NAD, Rotel, Cambridge Audio, Arcam...Brands for speakers might include PSB, NHT, Paradigm, Wharfdale....as a starting point.

I miss not being able to take out the southernisms from my writing.

Dared isn't bad stuff. I've used a pair of their tube monoblocks and the sound was really good. However, you'll need to get an outboard phono stage (anywhere from $120 to infinity) as well as additional rca cables to use your turntable with that integrated. You'll also need to be careful in selecting speakers to ensure compatibility with tube amps. In short, easy to drive speakers are in order. That's not a big deal, lots of speakers would work, but if you happen upon a bad match, you'll be selling one or the other as there is no fix for improperly mated speakers and tube gear.

You also run the risk of a hum problem with tube gear, turntables and grounding. That's fixable, but can be a real pain in the ass to nail down.

Don't get me wrong, I love tube gear, but you should still consider the extra heat created by tubes and their sometimes finicky partnership before choosing it.

Give Tom a call http://www.vintagehifipgh.com/ Keep in mind that they don't open till around 4 pm est.

I am a vintage audiophile, and have built Klipschorn speakers and Harman-Kardon Citation tube equipment from kits.

I am familiar with most of the quality tube and solid-state gear made over the last 50 years, and I have some advice for you; 99% of the time, vintage is not better.

Yes, the home theater AVRs that most people buy are foul-sounding incredibly cheap trash, but vintage gear is fussy and usually needs expensive restoration by a skilled technician to get back to its original level of performance.

I have a $25,000 stereo system that gives me sound to die for, and there is no "vintage" gear in it, because I have been there and know what it is like.

If it is GOOD SOUND QUALITY that you want, you are much better off buying new equipment and will spend less money to get the sound quality you want.

I am going to take the liberty of suggesting some modestly-priced gear that will give you very good sound quality for a relatively low price.

First, you need a high-quality integrated amplifier. I recommend the Music Hall 15.3, which Audio Advisor sells for $549. You can get many years of service out of that, even if you upgrade to some fairly expensive speakers.
It is the best one you can get for less than $1000 IMO.

Second, I recommend a pair of Wharfedale Diamond 10.1 speakers, which Music Direct is selling for $349 per pair.

The Music hall amplifier, by the way, does include its own phono stage.
I think your turntable has one also, but the one in the amplifier may sound better, so just switch the one in the turntable off and don't use it.

I just looked it up and it's a USB turntable. It DOES have it's own preamp built-in. It also has a decent cartridge stock.