Here's a few links to try, there's lots more on the web. Good stuff:

http://www.prairieastronomyclub.org/buyers.htm

http://observers.org/TAC.cgi/Links/#EQUIPMENT

Find a local astronomy club. Go to a meeting, ask questions. Amateur astronomers tend to be a friendly lot.

If you are in the US, try
http://www.astroleague.org/al/general/society.html

or the Sky and Telescope web site.

Also, see if you can find a copy of the book Starware by Herrington. The 3rd edition has recently come out. It is a very good resource for the sort of questions you have asked.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: aurorae on 2002-11-11 12:25 ]</font>