I am going to suggest that instead of trying to buy some beat-up old turntable for loose change, you step back for a short while and think about your goals (hardware and musical), your budget, and how you're going to go through with a purchase. I'm reasonably confident I can buy good vintage turntables at a good price, but I didn't know anything when I bought my first one, and I have a far better idea now of how to to go about it. Though only in the country I'm living in.
First you should perhaps form an idea of your budget. About the most you think you can afford. Then increase that - double it, ideally. It might be way too much, in which case people here will quickly tell you so, but it probably won't be. More likely, it'll be just about enough to get you something worth having.
Decide also if you are sure you want a vintage turntable: it brings extra risks. One thing that worked in my favour is that most of the turntables I've bought, I examined in person. They were simply sitting in a store. Most of the others came from reputable dealers online rather than some guy offloading his personal property. That meant they were packed correctly for (domestic) shipping, and correct packing of turntables can be the difference between success and failure.
There are some new, reasonably affordable turntables that you needn't be ashamed to own, especially as a first unit. One from Audio-Technica I think at less than $400. I can't remember the model, I'm sure someone will be able to point it out to you. Then something like the Pioneer PLX500, probably a decent turntable although I think some people express reservations about it, but I see it's only $370 on Amazon. And for about $750, the PLX1000, which had fewer detractors. Again, as a first deck, I would expect that either could serve you admirably. Buying new will cost you more but remove most of the risk and a lot of the thinking, where buying vintage can be a bit of minefield if you don't know some of the warning signs to check for. Sure, new will cost multiples of the $50 you originally had in mind, but the time and trouble saved may well be worth the extra money.
If you wonder why these and the Audio Technica I was talking about all look about the same, they're me-too versions of the Technics SL1200 mk II, and that's a design that's more than proved itself over about 45 years.
As it happens, I am very pro-vintage these days, but for someone starting out, unless you have someone on hand to guide you through it, it can easily go wrong. No one here likes to see that happen. If you're still determined to go vintage, that can certainly work, but you need to be aware of all the potential issues, and there are quite a lot of them.
