Top selling telescopes of all time?

[RobertI]

In a bored moment this morning, I was considering which telescopes may have sold the most over the years. It gets tricky when you start to try and consider brands versus manufacturer (eg: GSO manufacture the same scope for lots of different brands) or ota's only versus complete packages. However I am going to put myself out there, demonstrate my ignorance, and have a guess at the top 5 of all time:

1. Celestron C8
2. Meade 8" SCT  (LX200?)
3. Meade ETX 90
4. Skywatcher Skyliner 200P (dob)
5. Tasco 60mm refractor  

What do people think? 

Rob

[DirkSteele]

Certainly the models with great longevity will be up there.  So the C8 almost certainly.  I bet the 8" Newtonian (both Dob and Eq versions) as well.  The ubiquitous Short tube 80 refractor too, that one is almost a rite of passage for astronomers or ends up as their travel grab and go scope / public star parties as it so cheap.

[Floater]

A difficult exercise you've taken on there, Rob. In this age of 'post-truth', sorting fact from fiction is nigh impossible. ?

From what I've picked up on, the 200 Dob should be higher up the list, certainly for the UK.

p.s. I know, I know; post-truth started long ago.

[ronin]

Of the ones then the Tasco.

There have been other questions like this and when people have had the chance to give an answer then the result has never been as expected. Few years back the same was asked about Who has a goto? It was expected that very few actually bothered with them - classed as terrible, evil, unnecessary objects by many. The result was 64% had a goto.

Every one HAS a dobsonian - well at a public night (stargazing live) at a club south of me there was not a single dobsonian there, plenty of club members, plenty of scopes. Oddly (related to previous) 80% were 5 or 6 inch goto's.

Too many "myths" to get a true impression I suspect.

I say the Tasco as that was a cheap starter scope and many will have bought one, may not admit to it now, well the US people do. Over in the US there is a 60mm club, you "join" by having something like a 60mm Tasco. They will rebuild to original as grotty one they locate in a garage sale, think there is one at present, spend ages getting the original focuser (often plastic), spend 10x the original cost and whatever value it may be to get it to original.

[John]

In my astro society there are only about 2-3 dobsonians and the rest are Meade maks and Meade or Celestron SCT's. Only mad people try and observe without GOTO (like me ).

I've no idea on what the real stats are on the best sellers but Rob's list seems to have most of the main contenders on it I'd have thought. I've owned 3 of the ones listed during my time in the hobby.

 

 

[Chris]

2 hours ago, RobertI said:

In a bored moment this morning, I was considering which telescopes may have sold the most over the years. It gets tricky when you start to try and consider brands versus manufacturer (eg: GSO manufacture the same scope for lots of different brands) or ota's only versus complete packages. However I am going to put myself out there, demonstrate my ignorance, and have a guess at the top 5 of all time:

1. Celestron C8
2. Meade 8" SCT  (LX200?)
3. Meade ETX 90
4. Skywatcher Skyliner 200P (dob)
5. Tasco 60mm refractor  

What do people think? 

Rob

I think you could be about right there Rob  I've certainly owned 4.5/5 of these (Had a Meade 8" SCT but not the LX200 mount). I've crossed paths with two Tasco 60mm fracs, one not so great one circa mid eighties, and the better classic circle K Japan one I have in the loft. I had an ETX90 all throughout Uni, and 2x C8's including the Edge HD Variant.... just the one 200p Dob, but very nearly bought a second instead of my current 150p Dob  

[RobertI]

Well I'm glad I appear to have got the list about right, but ashamed that I have only had one of the telescopes on that list!  

[Chris]

3 minutes ago, RobertI said:

Well I'm glad I appear to have got the list about right, but ashamed that I have only had one of the telescopes on that list!  

Happy to loan you my Tasco long term, I need the space! 

[John]

It might be rather depressing if we found that the top sellers included things like the National Geographic branded rubbish

I'll bet they shift a lot of those things though, unfortunately.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Going by what i read here on SGL, (and aperture alone).........the top 2 are 150mm and 200mm.

FLO sell most well known brands of all sizes. I'd love to hear their take on this..............that would be a true measure.

 

[Peter Drew]

Hard to argue against the opening list, I have one of each so that doesn't make any statistical difference. Tasco use to claim that they sold more telescopes in total than any other manufacturer. Speaking of Tasco, I've just refurbished one of their early long focus 3" Newtonians, the alt-az fork mount is better than nothing I suppose but the optics give textbook quality star images!   

[John]

14 minutes ago, Peter Drew said:

Hard to argue against the opening list, I have one of each so that doesn't make any statistical difference. Tasco use to claim that they sold more telescopes in total than any other manufacturer. Speaking of Tasco, I've just refurbished one of their early long focus 3" Newtonians, the alt-az fork mount is better than nothing I suppose but the optics give textbook quality star images!   

My 1960's Tasco 60mm F/13.3 has a great objective in it. It was just the mount and eyepieces that let the side down

It got me hooked on this hobby though so I'm always appreciative of it

 

[RobertI]

Interesting comment about the department store scopes, I suspect anything that appears in one of the big chains sells a LOT. Apart from the National Geographic scopes, the Skywatcher Heritage and the Celestron Astromaster series seem to be pretty common so must sell a lot. My first scope was a 6" Charles Frank reflector on an Eq mount (well actually my first scope was binoculars!) a beautiful scope and my pride and joy, I know these have been popular since the dawn of time but probably not quite sold in the volumes of today's dobsonians. 

[Mark at Beaufort]

Rob I think if you asked that question in the 1960s then  Charles Frank 4" or 6" scopes would be high on the list with regard to the UK only. I certainly remember the 4" scope being available via general home mail order catalogues. Then you had Fullerscopes or 60mm fracs like Prinz and Tasco. I certainly had a Japanese 60mm frac followed by a 6" Charles Frank Reflector on an EQ mount.

I think your list is pretty good especially the Celestron C8 which had huge sales especially in the United States. The Meade ETX range 90 and 125 must have sold a great deal as well although I decided to buy the Celestron Nexstar 5 which cost well over a £1000 in 1999 and the mount was extra.

[Alien 13]

I thought I was the only one to have a Charles Frank six inch on EQ mount, sounds like there was a few, perhaps its not as rare as my dads Brough Superior I rode once.

Alan