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Pages: 1 | 2 | (show all) Don member Reged: 05/04/06 Loc: Iowa Looking for Used Questar Advice Needed       #4110496 - 10/12/10 03:27 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I am interesting in acquiring a Questar 3.5 telescope. Certainly, a good used telescope would be less expensive. Service for these scopes is still available through Questar Corporation. What is a fair price for a Standard model or a model with the Powerguide II? Are there good places to look for a used Questar other than Cloudy Nights or Astromart? Today, I found only one active listing on Astromart for a Standard model. The classified # is 696431. The price of $2200 seemed somewhat high. The pictures looked great except for the serial number. It looks like it was put on by hand. Whereas the rest of the scope is a PIECE of ART. Post Extras:       Mogdriver member Reged: 10/16/08 Loc: Central Illinois Re: Looking for Used Questar Advice Needed [Re: Don]       #4110837 - 10/12/10 05:55 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   A Questar IS a piece of art. They are hand build, as such, they are "signed"; the serial numbers are hand inscribed. Enjoy! Ron Davis Post Extras:       Rat8bug Carpal Tunnel Reged: 01/07/05 Loc: Michigan Re: Looking for Used Questar Advice Needed [Re: Mogdriver]       #4111041 - 10/12/10 07:27 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Take the plunge and enjoy! Questar IS! http://www.barrie-tao.com/faq.html Ciao....Barry Post Extras:       Billydee professor emeritus Reged: 01/23/08 Loc: Winter Haven, FL Re: Looking for Used Questar Advice Needed [Re: Rat8bug]       #4111157 - 10/12/10 08:12 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   You are looking at $1500 for a good 3.5 Standard with a Pyrex mirror and no coatings (1960s & 1970s) to $3500 for a 1990s Duplex with PGII, Zerodur mirror and Broad Band Coatings. Suggest you do a history check on AMart and view the pricing for the past 4 years. Suggest you join the Questar Group on Yahoo (it's free). Suggest you read all the CloudyNights Posts for the last 4 years. Suggest you go to Company7's website and read the history files and download the current price list. Suggest you go to Questar's website and look at the files. Should you buy on eBay???, you can get a fair deal or you can get taken (most are sold by resellers). I think you will get a better deal on CloudyNights or AMart. Those sellers are generally better qualified and have more respect for Questars. It took me about 1 year to locate my first one and it was perfect. I think in that year I located 5 that were attached to a dead Doctor's estate. Figure on about $450 for a full service on a 60s to 80s Q (plus about $90 shipping round trip). Buy the newest and best quality one you can afford and you will be happy with your Queen. The serial numbers were put on by free hand from the 1950s to the early 1990s and then were hand stamped. Luck, Bill Edited by Billydee (10/12/10 08:15 PM) Post Extras:       Don member Reged: 05/04/06 Loc: Iowa Re: Looking for Used Questar Advice Needed [Re: Billydee]       #4111429 - 10/12/10 10:01 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Thanks for all the useful information! I had not found the information about the hand signed serial numbers. Post Extras:       Billydee professor emeritus Reged: 01/23/08 Loc: Winter Haven, FL Re: Looking for Used Questar Advice Needed [Re: Don]       #4118903 - 10/15/10 09:30 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Don, Looks like a very good buy on a 3.5 Questar Duplex that is now on AMart. The seller is very well versed and can really assist you. The Duplex is a 1984 and was serviced in 2007. That saves you money. I like the Duplex because you have both the Fork Base and can take the OTA off and use it on a Tripod (best of both worlds). Don't know if you have knowledge of the Mistic Blue shield but it is nice and really a wanted item. I think this one is a non-star chart shield but that is not unusual for a Duplex. Look at it and at $2195 it is a good "asking" price (even without the service). I have no part in this sale and have not purchased from or sold to the seller. Here is a Link: http://www.astromart.com/classifieds/details.asp?classified_id=704224 Luck, Bill Post Extras:       Don member Reged: 05/04/06 Loc: Iowa Re: Looking for Used Questar Advice Needed [Re: Billydee]       #4123031 - 10/17/10 09:37 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I did not move fast enough on the 3.5 Questar Duplex listed on Astromart. The buyer had 2 full price offers before I contacted him. I am bidding on a Questar on ebay (160493262887). This one has the Powerguide II. However, it has only standard mirror coatings. My luck at buying things on ebay has not been good in the past. I usually get outbid in the last few seconds. I feel more comfortable buying and selling on Astromart. Post Extras:       Rat8bug Carpal Tunnel Reged: 01/07/05 Loc: Michigan Re: Looking for Used Questar Advice Needed [Re: Don]       #4123757 - 10/18/10 08:45 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   My tactic for winning on Ebay is timing. You must watch the clock, have your bid ready, then enter your bid at the last moment; not giving another party time to counter before the bid closes. Works for me! Ciao...Barry Quote: I did not move fast enough on the 3.5 Questar Duplex listed on Astromart. The buyer had 2 full price offers before I contacted him. I am bidding on a Questar on ebay (160493262887). This one has the Powerguide II. However, it has only standard mirror coatings. My luck at buying things on ebay has not been good in the past. I usually get outbid in the last few seconds. I feel more comfortable buying and selling on Astromart. Post Extras:       Brian L professor emeritus Reged: 11/17/08 Loc: The garden paradise of Pittsbu... Re: Looking for Used Questar Advice Needed [Re: Rat8bug]       #4123902 - 10/18/10 10:01 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   That's what everybody does to win highly competitive bids on ebay....sometimes I'll use multiple computers for the task. Astromart is definitely the better place to shop for one. Usually a better deal to be had on one also. Post Extras:       Billydee professor emeritus Reged: 01/23/08 Loc: Winter Haven, FL Re: Looking for Used Questar Advice Needed [Re: Brian L]       #4124119 - 10/18/10 11:32 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Don, Sorry you didn't get the AMart one. There is a way you can sort of beat most AMart members. Pay AMart a few extra bucks and become a Sponsor. They have 3 month, 6 month ,12 month & life time ones. They notify these Sponsors a few hours (I think it is 3 hours) before the postings go on AMart. This is done via eMail so you have first chance at the postings. The reason that the late bidders on eBay win is not their timing, it is their software. The software is called sniper style and it auto bids your max price in the last few seconds of the bid cycle. There are services that you can join that have mainframes directly connected to the eBay bid computer and this takes all timing and system problems out of the picture. There is free software that tracks eBay bids and auto places your bid in the last few seconds (this is on your computer) but it uses your connection and is not as accurate. The days of the stopwatch bids are gone, long live the computer (takes all the fun out of it). Luck, Bill Post Extras:       greedyshark sage Reged: 10/31/05 Loc: 3rd Rock Re: Looking for Used Questar Advice Needed [Re: Billydee]       #4124228 - 10/18/10 12:20 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Quote: There are services that you can join that have mainframes directly connected to the eBay bid computer and this takes all timing and system problems out of the picture. Another option is to open 2 windows on your monitor...one tracking the item clock, one with your bid confirmation ready to execute. Using this method, I can usually snag an auction in the last 3 sec. If I don't, I tell myself that it wasn't meant to be CS, Charles Post Extras:       Brian L professor emeritus Reged: 11/17/08 Loc: The garden paradise of Pittsbu... Re: Looking for Used Questar Advice Needed [Re: greedyshark]       #4124703 - 10/18/10 03:47 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   It's kind of silly that ebay auctions have not been distilled to a few seconds at the close of the auction. It's aggravating to have to wait 7 days for all of the action! Ebay is a good place to find the obscure, but in general sellers on Astromart are 1) much more knowledgeable and more devoted to the hobby; 2) more concerned with their reputation; and 3) more help to the buyer after the transaction is complete. It is not uncommon for me to ask a question of a seller that I bought from months before. Also, if you watch what Questars sell for on Ebay (at least one that you would want to buy), in general I think it goes for more $$ than comparable scopes that sell on Astromart. I've bought and sold several Questars over the years, and the only one I've ever snagged on Ebay was nearly a disaster. Post Extras:       Brian L professor emeritus Reged: 11/17/08 Loc: The garden paradise of Pittsbu... Re: Looking for Used Questar Advice Needed [Re: Brian L]       #4124711 - 10/18/10 03:52 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   One more piece of advice.... given the serial number, you can contact Questar directly and they will furnish the service history of that scope. A mid '60's or '70s scope can be just as good as new with a standard servicing provided it hasn't been mistreated. One that has been serviced recently (last few years) will fetch a premium. Usually the seller is aware of its service history, but if you are buying from an estate liquidator or (*gasp*) a pawnbroker, they often don't know which end of the scope to look in let alone anything regarding its history. Post Extras:       Don member Reged: 05/04/06 Loc: Iowa Re: Looking for Used Questar Advice Needed [Re: Brian L]       #4125395 - 10/18/10 08:52 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I am shocked! I won the bid on a Questar on Ebay! I only made 2 bids! It is 3.5 Duplex with Powerguide II. It was serviced in 2009 and the optics were replaced. The seller had paperwork to document the service. I got it for $2375. I hope it looks good "in person" also. I hope a got a good scope for a fair price. We will have two weeks of cloudy weather when it arrives. Post Extras:       akman1955 Carpal Tunnel Reged: 09/07/09 Loc: Alaska, USA Re: Looking for Used Questar Advice Needed [Re: Don]       #4125586 - 10/18/10 10:07 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Good for you Don. Thats a good price as well as the other one on astromart. When you get it we want a report. Thanks,john Post Extras:       cbwerner scholastic sledgehammer Reged: 08/27/05 Loc: Maidens, VA Re: Looking for Used Questar Advice Needed [Re: akman1955]       #4125666 - 10/18/10 10:54 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Congratulations Don! Post Extras:       Erik Bakker Carpal Tunnel Reged: 08/10/06 Loc: The Netherlands, Europe Re: Looking for Used Questar Advice Needed [Re: Don]       #4126011 - 10/19/10 02:08 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Hi Don, Sounds like a magnificent buy! Enjoy that wonderful scope under the stars. CS, Erik Post Extras:       Billydee professor emeritus Reged: 01/23/08 Loc: Winter Haven, FL Re: Looking for Used Questar Advice Needed [Re: Erik Bakker]       #4127345 - 10/19/10 03:31 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Don, Good buy!!! This one looks honest and the price is right on and that is without it having been serviced. Plan to use it often and don't let it become a display Q. I've reported two other Duplex postings in the last week that were copies of just sold Qs to eBay and one was removed and the other is being investigated. (NOTE: The second fake Duplex has been removed from eBay, this evening.) I'm real happy on your purchase, Luck, Bill Edited by Billydee (10/19/10 09:25 PM) Post Extras:       greedyshark sage Reged: 10/31/05 Loc: 3rd Rock Re: Looking for Used Questar Advice Needed [Re: Don]       #4127353 - 10/19/10 03:33 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Nice! CS, Charles Post Extras:       Brian L professor emeritus Reged: 11/17/08 Loc: The garden paradise of Pittsbu... Re: Looking for Used Questar Advice Needed [Re: greedyshark]       #4128153 - 10/19/10 09:18 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   That is a very good price for what is basically a new duplex with powerguide II. This would cost in excess of $5k. Post Extras:       Pages: 1 | 2 | (show all)

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