New or second hand?

[JuanCT]

Thinking of purchasing my first telescope and looking through places like ebay there's quite a few for sale.

I'm obviously slightly put off spending quite a bit of money on something that needs to be well looked after and could be damaged.

Would you recommend buying new or used? Also things to look out for when buying second hand.

Thanks

[leelee970]

I've bought through ebay and other sites NEVER had a problem.

If you go down the second hand route then the best thing to do is research. Decide what you want, and find out how much such an item sells for.

If the item is expensive then I'd certainly collect in person, that way you can pull out of the deal if it's not what your really are after.

[David Smith]

Personally I have never spent more than a few tens-of-pounds on the bay just because I think it is too risky, especially when most of the time the same item can be had brand new for not much more than the asking price - sometimes even less!

The only caveat to that might be if I could inspect the item before I paid for / purchased it and I would strongly recommend this for a Telescope unless you get some sort of guarantee with it.

Just my paranoid thoughts

[Carbon Brush]

My preference for any used kit is first here. Then a close second with UK astronomy Buy/Sell.

Finally ebay with great caution.

Some reasearch on SGL will build up your membership time and posts to allow access to the classified ads.

Also try a local Astro Society. People often have bits on sale that are not openly advertised and you can definitely get to see the kit.

you should also be able to get a look at and through various scopes to get a better idea of what you want.

Hope this helps.

[RT65CB-SWL]

About 50% of my present equipment is second hand.

Either from the SGL classifieds, astro buy & sell or eBay.

[stevepeverall]

There are no real worries buying second hand especially if you collect in person.

You can often save one third off the new price even if the scope is less than a year old or has only been used a few times.

To be extra safe you can collect after dark on a clear night to check out the optics, especially now the nights are drawing in. If you opt for a refractor check that there are no scratches on the lens and that the coatings haven't been worn away by over-zealous cleaning.

[John]

Virtually all my gear is secondhand and most of it was bought through the UK Astro Buy & Sell website:

http://www.astrobuysell.com/uk/

I've bought and sold through the site many, many times and all the transactions have been very positive

For things like eyepieces, buying used gives you a chance to try something and then sell it on at little or no loss if it turns out not to be for you or you want to upgrade in due course.

Most astro equipment depreciates 25%-35% the moment you open the box from new.

There are bargains to be had from eBay as well but I'd say there are more traps for the unwary there and you really need to know what you are about to get the great deals there.

[Robp]

I bought a second hand scope from gumtree with no issues.

its definitely worthwhile to buy from somewhere where you can see the scope before parting with money. It's not just the condition of the scope that you can check, but the house will also give you a hint as to whether the scope would have been well looked after during its lifetime.

I prefer to buy second hand where possible as you can either buy something better than the equivalent money new, or spend the difference on extra equipment!

If you do decide to go second hand, check out other local astronomers to see if they have anything for sale (clubs and meets are a good place for this) or this site as a first point of call.

also keep in mind that you may have to wait a while to get what you want, in the condition you want, for the right price. It took me a couple of months to source the scope I wanted, in the end I had to bite the bullet and go for a longer drive than I wanted to, but the saving in price was worth the extra effort and constant checking of second hand sites etc.

Good luck!

[JuanCT]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I'm not going to rush into anything and going to keep my eye out for a second hand telescope and if something doesn't come along I'll get something new. The plus side of second hand is I'll be able to afford a better model for the price of new.

[Moonshane]

you get more for your money used and it's how I buy almost all my gear.

I agree with David's comments above and much of the other comment. make sure you know what you want and how much you want to pay (I suggest 50-70% of new price depending what it is and conditon).

ideally, ring the person and you'll quickly gauge if they are an astronomer or not. if they are the chances are it will have been looked after. if not then it may have been stuff in a cupboard but may not too.

I worry more about optics and if the mirrors or lenses look clean, damage free and shiny then assuming eerything works as it should you'll be fine. if you can see it in person all the better and if you can take someone that's au fait with the equipment even better.

broadly you cannot go wrong following the advice above.

[Moonshane]

oh, stick to main brands:

skywatcher

orion USA

Orion Optics UK

Celestron

William Optics

generally good

Meade

Helios

Konus

to some extent OK

seben and most others not so good

if you find something then ask again and we can advise if you link it (although this might run the risk of a bidding war!).