As a general point, the market is changing, & it's time to think outside the box IMO. You can get new serious pro handmade Turkish cymbals for around XS20 money. With that choice, surely the starter cymbal market should die off. Many of these cymbals aren't "just as good" as the big three high end stuff, they're better IMO. Only problem for the inexperienced buyer is the huge variety on offer. Most are quite complicated flavours, so you've really got to try them out. Consistency isn't the issue it used to be with the quality Turkish makers. There's still the minor differences you'd expect from a truly handmade product, but that's part of the charm, isn't it?
Anyhow, superb pro quality for starter/intermediate money, a no brainer as far as I'm concerned. It's well worth the inexperienced player taking the time to search stuff out, rather than just working off the mass marketing info & high profile endorsements. That process also has the benefit of providing a welcome steep leaning curve on cymbal sounds & styles. I get that it's easy to buy big three stuff online. You pretty much know what you're getting, & that's the point. What you get out is directly linked to the effort you put in. It's no longer a purely price/affordability decision.
Get out there, get involved, get lucky!