This is great guys, as a newbie myself this information is incredibly helpful; even if it isn't my thread!
Sounds like just about everything can be purchased at Harbour Freight to start out (which is great since one is right down the road from my house), except the needles and thread. So should one resort to biting the bullet and buying the beginner needle set at Tandy to get things started and source the rest from HF? Also, is buying a stitching horse necessary at this point, simply helpful, or completely uneccessary now?