Hello all, I’m curious if there are any good markets online for used telescopes in the US. I tried looking on eBay but there doesn’t seem to be much there. I’m thinking of buying an 8” Dobsonian as I’ll be using it almost exclusively for viewing and not astrophotography, but I’d like to get my foot in the door with a used setup instead of splurging right away if possible. Included is a photo under night vision of the Milky Way banding as a post tax
by Cholton7
5 Comments
Post tax???
Cloudy Nights forum is the biggest one. Astromart is good if you want a bit nicer stuff but it requires a subscription.
Find a local astronomy club or two, many people buy sell or know someone who is trying to unload.
Is your black loop permanent on the night vision?
I actually keep a personal list of links to various marketplaces and storefronts with used equipment. A few good ones that I know are here:
– [https://milehighastro.com/collections/used?sort_by=created-descending](https://milehighastro.com/collections/used?sort_by=created-descending)
(*Mile High Astronomy is mostly pick-up only at their Denver, CO location for larger items. Some smaller items are allowed to be shipped, so check item disclaimers.*)
– [https://astromart.com/classifieds/astromart-classifieds/show](https://astromart.com/classifieds/astromart-classifieds/show)
(*Think of this place as the eBay for astronomy equipment. You will need an account and buy membership, which is under $20 annually. All interactions/transactions are done between you and the seller.*)
– [https://telescopes.net/sale.html#/sort:final_price:asc](https://telescopes.net/sale.html#/sort:final_price:asc)
(*LA storefront with a lot of used stuff, mostly smaller accessories.*)
– [https://www.cameraconcepts.com/used-display-items/](https://www.cameraconcepts.com/used-display-items/)
(*NY storefront with a good few used telescopes and other smaller accessories.*)
– [https://cloudbreakoptics.com/collections/used-gear?sort_by=created-descending](https://cloudbreakoptics.com/collections/used-gear?sort_by=created-descending)
(*Seattle, WA storefront that offers shipping, but recommends local pickup due to shipping fees.*)
Apart from these, **check local.** *Craigslist*, *OfferUp*, *Mercari* and so on. You’d be surprised how many folks prefer a face-to-face, hassle-free transaction over shipping their equipment online.