Towholesale Guide to Choosing and Buying the First Telescope

basic rules:

1 Never buy a telescope in a department store.
2 "Christmas Trash" telescopes
3 Magnification by itself is meaningless.
4 There's no substitute for optical quality.
5 The smaller the scope, the more often it gets used.
6 The mount is as important as the scope.

more details here : http://findascope.com/

A telescope is a useful tool- but only if you know what to do with it. Before you decide to get a telescope, you should spend a little time reading about telescopes to get a better idea of what they can do, and to better understand your own needs. If at all possible, find an astronomy society or club you can visit to get some personal experience using different telescopes. Too many people spend a lot of money on a scope with unrealistic expectations of what they'll be able to see. Others get discouraged when they find they can't just point the scope heavenwards and see amazing sights.