best place to buy secondhand equipment?

[roarke80]

Hi, am a beginner and don't want to spend a fortune on my first scope. I understand the buy sell thread here is closed, and I've looked at astro buysell but it doesnt seem to have too many options. Are there other good sites for 2nd hand equipment?

I'm looking at ebay but understand some pple on the forum advise against it. Any bad experiences, is it a good idea?

[John]

The UK Astro Buy & Sell site is very popular. Many members here have used it successfully:

U.K. Astronomy Buy & Sell

Edit: Oh, I see you have already found it. It's the best that I've found to be honest

[Cunhaval]

Would recommend persisting with astro buy and sell until something comes up which tempts you - but you are going to need patience!

Ebay can be OK, but you really need to know what something is really worth - there are some ludicrous prices from time to time. And I wouldn't personally buy anything pricey like a scope, a mount, or a camera without being able to personally inspect it when picking it up, and BEFORE parting with any dosh! So, of course, you would also need sufficient knowledge to know whether any particular piece of kit was complete, in good condition, and in working order.

I like to think that no hobbyist astronomer would rip you off, but not everything on the Bay is being sold by hobbyist astronomers

[bigbox]

Hi there, i got my scope/mount from Ebay, it was & still is in immaculate condition. Just make sure that if you do buy from there to check it over from top to bottom, left to right & inside out... also if you find something on there do some reading up on the web & here on SGL. Ask the folks on here questions theres always someone with the knowledge to help, FACT!!

regards Ady

[E621Keith]

You have to be quick on ABS, good deals go very quickly. You have a bit more time with ebay, but you need to research on anything you buy there. It's not uncommon to see things sold for more than their new price.

[kris h]

SGL was the best place

[en51nm]

I got my scope from eBay, if you do your homework first, and you're patient you should be able to get a bargain! I paid £350 for a SW 200P on EQ5 mount with polar scope and a load of EPs filters & t-rings, the scope was in great condition

[John]

The problem with E.Bay, apart from all the junk that is on there, is that the bidding often goes mad in the closing stages of the auction which often results in a final price close to the price of buying the item new or occasionally even more than the new price !

I reckon that the astronomers using UK Astro Buy & Sell generally price their stuff realistically and have a better grasp of what constitutes good and excellent condition with astro equipment.

Unless it's supplied with really exotic accessories, a good condition Skywatcher 8" newtonian on an EQ5 mount should be costing around £240-£280 used (ie: 60%-70% of the new price). I've picked them up for as little as £200 in the past.

That said, I'm sure en51nm's scope is a good one, but it really should not have been that expensive.

[roarke80]

Thanks for all the replies, you've been very helpful! Should i expect to pay not more than 600 in that case for a 2nd hand 200p and heq5 mount since new costs about 900 quid?

[en51nm]

I've picked them up for as little as £200 in the past.

I think you would be extremely lucky to have got a scope for this amount, I can't imagine it was in good condition or with any extras. I've been keeping track of 200P's on ebay for the over a year and rarely see them go for less than £380.

[Frank the Troll]

You need to do some homework before buying on ebay, so browse this forum, ask questions if you need too.

The biggest problem with ebay, most scopes are pick-up only.

[John]

I think you would be extremely lucky to have got a scope for this amount, I can't imagine it was in good condition or with any extras. I've been keeping track of 200P's on ebay for the over a year and rarely see them go for less than £380.

It was not on E.Bay, it was on UK Astro Buy & Sell. I made an offer and was able to pick up and pay cash which helped of course. The scope was in very nice condition with just the standard accessories. On E.Bay the price would have been much higher I expect.

About 3 years back I did pick up a nice condition Skywatcher Skyliner 250PX from E.Bay for just £100 as a "Buy It Now". I had to drive 150 miles round trip to collect it but still an amazing buy. I felt a little guilty when I paid and collected it but the seller seemed glad to see the back of it