Price, as always, dictates what you get. To get a decent instrument you have to be ready to commit yourself to it. Before spending the money on a guitar, you have to want to learn how to play. The better the guitar, the easier and more enjoyable it will be to learn how to play. You get as good as the instrument and a good quality guitar not only will retain its value better, but you'll enjoy it more.
Lessons are an excellent way to learn.
If you can't afford, or don't want to commit to structured lessons, the motivated player can still learn. There are several lesson books that I have been recommending to people. By learning a couple of chords and getting your favorite Bob Dylan book you can be playing relatively quickly. Once you get your fingers to go to the right place, you can get to understand how to play. Collecting Guitars I have been seeing many guitar collectors and the instruments they collect.