Welcome aboard! As others have said, it's up to you. Every quilter is different. Decide on what features you want, and what you expect to do with it. Will you be quilting on it? Do you want several different stitches? Try out several different machines, using several different techniques. For me, personally, I have been quilting for quite awhile, and feel the cost of the machine doesn't matter much, in that I can stitch on a $300 machine, or a $1,000 machine. I have 4 machines, and none of them were costly. What I find makes me a better quilter is perfecting the basics. Cutting, piecing, design, color and fabric choice, type of batting, and backing are all important. Good luck with your search, and be sure to post pictures of your creations in the future!