The x-wing official mats are out of print on the FFG website. You can probably find them on Amazon or Ebay (sadly, likely for terrible scalped prices), but you don't need anything official. Really only the size matters, and having a surface ships don't slide along like ice. From there, having a nice picture is just gravy (material matters more than beauty).
Yea $60 for a mat feels overpriced... but inflation has pushed prices for some products way up since I last bought them. Even so, here are some things I found via Teh Googles:
Always check the material they're made of before you buy; some mats are cheap stuff. I haven't purchased from Mats by Mars before, but at least at first blush they look like a not-bad option... if shipping isn't $25 or higher.
And one last thing to note... After shipping, it's possible the $60 mats on Amazon (with free shipping, particularly with Prime) are cheaper and you may have a better idea what you're getting (while on Etsy, it's much harder to say sometimes). If that's the case, then this gorgeous thing is my favorite: https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Nebula-Wargaming-Play-Mat/dp/B07D3F9R6D/ . And there's lots of others on Amazon and the shipping can be blindingly fast with some of the sellers there.
I hope this helps!
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As for your first ships... what faction interest you? Or what playstyle? Or would you like suggestions? It turns out I'm really good at rambling about this game so I can talk about anything you like. :D
I just got one of these in, and I love it. The stars look a bit big/"bright" but I like the blue. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D3F9R6D/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_pKapFbFP3DWMQ