Choosing a programmer can be onfusing. I ahve tried several and talked to many people. A great programmer that programs most of te Microchip product line is:the Melabs
EPIC programmer. This is what i use. You can get JUST the programmer by itself for $59 I would recommend you get the package deal for $99 which comes with the programmer, the AC adapter, parallel cable, and your choice of either a ZIF socket for 8,18,or 20 pin devices or 28 and 40 pin devices. Chose either ZIF socket, and buy the other one seperately. With this setup you can program most any PIC currently in production. Hmmm... that sounded sortof like an oxiclean comercial or something.
Btw.. If you are still interested in Basic stamps, the exorbitantly priced developement boards that parallox sells are nothing more than a serial cable, and a voltage reglaor all put together on a pretty looking PCB. You can build your own for under $15.