I just Bought my first straight about a week ago, and went through the same thing. I started out with a Dovo Shavette I got for x-mas =$45, $5 for a box of blades...
I used that for a bit and was hooked so I have spent several months looking at straights and reading forums, and checking out any and all razors online. And from what I have found there are many straights out there between $75-$100. And everywhere I look it seems the majority agrees that you can't go wrong with a Dovo. I purchased a "Best Quality" carbon steel for $75 on eBay, its brand new in a sealed box.
Hope this helps!