Telescope Reviews: What to look at for first timers?

I suggest you visit skymaps.com every month to download a free monthly map and observing list. Then you will always have something to find.

You very well may be interested in the following article about beginners or some of the others found on the next two sites.

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/howto/basics/How_to_Start_Right_in_Astronomy.html

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/howto/basics

http://www.scopereviews.com/begin.html

In addition, were I in your shoes I would stock the book Nightwatch by Dickinson. It is a bit pricey, but it is probably the best beginner book and better for the budding astronomer than any $100 telescope. I think if you purchase direct from firefly publications you can get a good price and have a nice markup.

Actually, at a price of $100 - $200 it is hard to avoid selling anything but junk for night time use. The smaller refractors can work well for daytime use though. Must sub $200 scopes will be usable by beginners only on the moon and perhaps Jupiter and Saturn. Jupiter and Saturn will be TINY. The smallest scopes are usable by advanced amateurs ... but are very difficult to get much performance out of.

If I were a retailer I would worry about the number of returns I might get, especially with an EQ mount. Telescopes have a short but very STEEP learning curve. However, if your shop can provide help over that learning curve, then you would have an advantage over everyone else.

Before I ordered in any stock, I would check out Orion at telescope.com. They have a few very nice smaller scopes and will happily send you a free catalog.

There is a $50 Celestron International Year of Astronomy Scope out. I am not real impressed by it (I have one), but others seem to like it. However, it is not real good on Saturn and Jupiter (extemely Tiny and smeared light) and not great for terrestrial use (the upside down views bother some folks).

Beware of any scopes under $500 that have a tube shorter than the focal length. Many celestron 114 short tube scopes are this way. They have a "corrector" or "built in barlow" in the focus tube that makes the scope harder to use.. but items are bigger. Too bad this design isn't usually better executed (I have one of these also).

Buy the way, you don't need dark skies for the moon and planets, the view in a parking lot is just fine. Unfortunately there are only a few of the planets that show much detail in a scope.

Good luck! I have always thought that a store that had monthly store star parties during first quarter moon could probably sell a lot of telescopes. One look through a larger (than an 80mm) aperture dob (say 4" to 8") with a stable base might convince folks to pony up an extra hundred bucks for the far superior design.

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Jim Haley
12.5" f6 Starsplitter Dob because aperture and focal length rule.
Orion 8" XTi (with computerized object locator) because I view from the city and I won't always lug out the 12.5
Orion 114EQ reflector, Heritage 130P flextub Dob (My super portable dob is always in the car).
80mm f6 refractor (great for daytime use)
76mm Mini Dob (skywatcher brand). Hyper-portable dob base mounts to heavy duty ($100) tripod.