text: which is the best telescope to purchase,what would be the best features to look for a first timer sky lover? i'd like to purchase a telescope for my 30 yr old son, would prefer quality, within a decent price range,we live in arizona where the sky is always beautiful. he would be a first timer but he is educated, am i better off buying used? what accesories? where can i go to research this type of item?i don't want plastic pieces, something he may be able to take with him totravel up in the mountains. thankyou for any advice you can share. momsrage4 there are lots of possibilities, depending on your son's interests, and what you consider a "decent" price range. a small dobsonian telescope is a good starter scope at a reasonable price (~$250 - $800). meade lightbridge dobs are built a bit better than the entry level ones and disassemble for better portability (~$500 - $1000).  for a more high-tech, computer controlled scope, the meade lxd75 series (~$900 - $1400) is a good place to look. various schmidt-cassegrains from meade and celestron ($1000 - $5000 & up) are another possibility.  astromart is a good place for used scopes, as it's used mostly by serious amateurs. avoid ebay unless you really know what you're looking for - a lot of junk there.   the links below are a few places to browse, plus the yahoo telescopes group where you can find some informed opinions about astronomical equipment.