Here's my 2 cents. First of all, let me say that we do not have a lot of disposable income. So, my husband and I were passing by Sew Right on the way back from an estate sale (where, of course, I got a lot of fabric). I was looking for an upgrade to my sewing machine. I was not looking for an embroidery machine. Didn't think I wanted one or needed one. To make a long story short, DH got a Baby Lock Sofia 2 for me as a Christmas gift. I don't recall the exact price, but it was around $500-600. It has a 4x4 hoop.
It took me a long while to get it out of the box and even longer to start embroidering. Fast forward: I love it. At times I wished I had a bigger hoop, but I really don't need it. I mean am I going to embroider a mural? No. Are there designs that don't fit the 4x4? Yes. But ... there are zillions that do. Now, I embroider with it nearly every day - t-shirts, quilt blocks, tea towels, etc. Love it. It embroiders like a dream.
That said, by the time I got the stabilizer, thread, bobbin thread, a multi-position bigger hoop ... well I was over $1,000.
Maybe you won't find parts on the shelf in your LQS, but they're around and you find them easily. You don't really need a ton of bobbins anyway.
So, depending on your situation, just be aware that by the time you're done, you will be spending a LOT more money than you initially planned on.
BTW, I get stabilizer by the bolt with coupons at Joann. I also got a zillion smaller sealed packages of Sulky stabilizer at an estate sale for $1