I guess you went back and dug this thread out of the dust bin! I posted this in April, and the base station rig is long since sold. Sorry.
I am hanging on to the HTX-100 and ICOM IC-2AT for now, since I got enough from the Kenwood to meet the emergency that caused me to have to sell my HAM stuff in the first place.
Have you checked the ARRL site? There are a lot of old timers there who can give you rock solid advice. A lot of newbies choose their first rig based on their advice. My personal rule of thumb about a first rig (and in life in general) is to keep it simple. This will keep things understandable, and usually much cheaper too. A lot of newbies go out and buy fancy new hot dog equipment right off the bat, and it just isn't necessary to do that. As you grow as a HAM you will know what you want to do, and that will dictate what equipment you need. My uncle worked the globe with a tube rig he built himself, for decades. He was my mentor and inspiration for getting my license.
eBay is a good source, and is where I got my first rig, (the above Kenwood) that I sold. I got it plus 200 feet coax, and a ton of other stuff (some of which I gave to other HAMS, and some I kept), for $300.
Good luck to both of you and keep us posted!
