I second the Tenths micrometers buy new on ebay or something that looks new if they drop the mic the measuring points wont be parallel. And carbide feces are nice. The big money will be a bore gauge in tenths.
Mitutoyo is very high quality. Brown & Sharp And starrett All of these tools will work well.

I think what we need to know first, is what are you trying to accomplish and how often do you plan on doing it. If you are looking to measure motor parts occasionally, then chinese stuff is fine. If you are looking at doing it for a living then you can buy the name brand stuff. What is your budget? This stuff you listed can get very expensive!! I am a journeyman tool and die maker and I can tell you first hand that a brand new China mic is better than a 40 yr old starrett mic in a wooden box that has probably been dropped, smashed, cycled 10000 times, etc. the Chinese stuff has come a long way. I can guarantee that there are big named engine builders that have some sort of Chinese machinist tools in their shop. That being said I still have preferences for certain brands for certain tools.
Depth mics, starrett
Calipers, brown and sharpe
Dial test indicators, Interepid

I've been wanting some general machinists tools for awhile.
They would be used for amateur hobby stuff.
That said, I really appreciate nice tools. I'll keep this stuff till I'm dead so, I'd rather buy good stuff, for keeps.

I appreciate all the replies and advice. I'll keep my eyes open and start checking craigslist and ebay.

Thanks,
Rob

Starrett is good stuff for sure, I really like their 5R scales. For direct measuring tools, Mitutoyo is just awesome, I like their caliper feel and shape better. An 8" .100rev white face dial Mitutoyo is a great choice. The merits of dial vs digital can be debated for ages- I prefer dial. Etalon is like the gold standard of mic's, but if I were going to start over I'd go with the Mitutoyo Quantumikes. They have a multi lead thread- all the benefits of a mic with much faster action. Ebay isn't terrible, but it is a gamble. For my home collection eBay has done me very well. I do however have the ability to verify with some certainty the tools I buy.

Don't forget V-blocks either, they're immensely useful.

All the stuff I just listed is NOT cheap, like paying $40 for a 12" flexible ruler, but it's accurate. Isn't that why we're here?

We use Mitutoyo in my shop...most of our tolerances are held to .005. We go through quite a few 0-1" micrometers per year...an abrasive product like the one we make is not a precision instrument's friend, lol.

none of it is any good if you don't have place to get the tools calibrated or a means of establishing the tools accurate and repeats.

that's a pretty subjective statement. Micrometers should come with standards and from there most things can be logically proven to reasonable accuracy. I don't feel like anyone asking the OP's questions is trying to outfit a metrology lab. But, should one want a good standard, buy a small set of gage blocks and leave them at home. The temp there is fairly close to lab temp so you should be good to go.

The tools come with standards to set. Guaranteed not many Engine shops get there tools calibrated probably none.
Micrometers are almost c-clamps used to set the bore gauge. Unless your building parts or aerospace.