I'd say this is the best place to look for beginner gear. You can get good deals and the vast majority of stuff being sold is good quality (in my experience).
Perhaps put up a post in the beginner section asking for some advice, but be sure to describe what you want to achieve, ie. looking at the planets/moon, looking for faint fuzzies like nebulae or galaxies, and/or whether you want to go down the route of astrophotography.
Regarding the classifieds, if something looks interesting then don't be afraid to ask the seller any questions you have about it.
