[Ian Robinson]

Not wanting to be a party pooper .... but perhaps you should hold off on buying your first scope until you have had a chance to bed down your interest in astronomy and buy a GOOD pair of binoculars (at least 60mm objective , 80mm is better) to start with.

In the mean time learn something about the pros and cons of different types of scopes and mounts while you are saving the pennies and then in 6 or 12 months if you are still keen on buying a scope , you will know more and make a better choice.

Many people rush in and buy a telescope (new or secondhand) and it is either too small or too junky (yes there is some junk out there sold even by so called reputable manufacturers and retailers) with wobbly tripods, dodgey optics, nasty cheap plastic focusors which wont focus or which sag, and with cheap nasty mounts (dobs with laminated particle mounts .... you know what happens to particle board when is gets wet ?) or german equatorial mounts which have too much play in them or are hopeless for serious astrophotography.

Buying you first telescope - two rules :

APETURE IS EVERYTHING (BIGGER IS BETTER)
BUY QUALITY (it might cost more initially but you will be happier with it in the long run).

My advice if you are hell bent on buying a telescope ....

1) at least 6" aperture (if a newt or a dob) , or 80mm if a refractor (an APO is better).
2) don't bother with Goto mounts - altaz or fork or GEMs (best learn your way around the sky the sky the old fashioned way)
3) don't pay attention to outrageous claims like 450x and 600x, they are nonsense unless you have a BIG telescope.
4) buy a quality telescope - there is no way a 6" telescope retailing for
under $900 is going be much quality (and it will probably be a flat pack mount made from laminated particle board too, the focusor will be rubbish , and the tube will likely be formatube (cardboard) , and if it comes with a GEM and tripod - they will be rubbish.
5) decide what kind tasks you want the telescope to do , that will detemine things like mount, apeture and f number (photographic speed) and what other add ons are necessary (ie coma corrector, field flattener, focusor type) etc.

I know the resident retailors here will say otherwize. But they probably all hope to sell one of those cheap dobs or cheap newts with a cheap and nasty tripod and gem.

There are lots of cheap telescopes out there that people bought and were disappointed with that are now in back in the box and collecting dust.