help finding needle

my stepdad was recently cleaning out the garage when he unearthed a United Audio Dual 1229 turntable, and seeing as how his record collection is relegated to Jane Fonda's Workout and a few Wham and Sheila-E singles, he placed it in my posession. the only problem with it (so far) is that the needle is broken. i know next to nothing about record players. but it appears to have a v15 type III cartridge and i need to know where i can find another one of these (already found one candidate on Ebay) or whether any more recent models might work. searching the internet i came across a message board and though the writing was too technical for my complete comprehension, the writer seemed to hint that a 30 yr needle might not be in full working condition. help a brother out.