Buying a record player

Hey guys, I'm looking to finally get a record player, get into a different way of listening to music. Problem is, I don't know anything about record players, so I'm hoping some of you guys can give me some advice, whether it's extremely specific or super general, on what to look for, things I have to consider, even which record player you guys would recommend. I definitely want a really solid one so I can appreciate it, but nothing outrageous either. Also, some basic info would be nice: do I need to also get a stereo to connect to it? etc.

Any help would be appreciated - thanks!