I'd suggest finding a shop where you can take a class and rent time on a machine before sinking thousands of dollars into it. Even if you have to travel a ways and stay overnight, it's cheaper than finding out you don't enjoy it!
A friend who has both the money to buy and room to put anything she'd like (don't you just hate that?!) was researching LA's, had tested a couple at shows and then found out about a class/rental. She rented the machine for an afternoon, I think, and did a twin sized quilt after the lesson. That was when she found out that she didn't like doing it, and would much rather pay to have them done.
Even paying for custom work, you'd be able to have many quilts done before you reached that $8 - $10 k entry level.