The three rules of picking a telescope:

1.      Pick the one you will use,  
2.      Pick the one you will use, and lastly,
3.      Pick the one you will use.

     Caution!  When you go to the telescope store, you will likely see a great big man-scope.  Not a little sissy scope - but a big honkin' thing that weighs and costs more than your first car.  And deep down inside a little voice will say, "Buy it, buy it."  Don't do it!  Remember that back problem?  Remember how tired you are after work?  Remember how you have to help your kids with homework?  After the first month of owning that bad boy, you will think of any excuse in the world not to haul that monster outside and set it up.  Unless you know that you will be out looking for faint objects on cold winter nights, or like to stand on street corners showing people planets - steer clear of the big thing.  Start with a modest sized scope and if you find you are using it a lot and want something bigger - trade it in.

     But don't go too small - gathering light is the real key to a good telescope.  The wider (the greater the aperture) the telescope, the more light it gathers, which can be then be magnified.  Cheap telescope brands often boast ("256 power!") about the magnification without regard for aperture - so when you buy one of these department store wonders, you discover that the magnified object is nearly invisible and grainy.   

     To pick a scope you need to balance your budget with your interests and floor space.

Budget: We live in a time when a lot of telescope can be purchased for very little money.  For less than $200 one can purchase a perfectly usable refractor or reflector for the family. You'll be able to see features on the Moon, enjoy a tiny Saturn with rings and Jupiter with its moons.   Of course, more money gets you more scope, but do you need it?

Interests: If you are pretty sure that you'll use the scope regularly and you like to see faint objects like galaxies, you may want to get at least an 8-inch reflector or catadioptric.  If you want to poke around the night sky with the kids once or twice a summer, consider less.  If you have loads of money and wish to take pictures of the night sky, consider a premium refractor.

Floor space: I've discovered that amateur astronomers love to not only look through their telescope, but AT their telescope.  To their eye it is a work of art.  So you can imagine their surprise when they learn their spouse does not want a telescope parked in the middle of the living room for all to see and adore. Interestingly, spouses of amateur astronomers have an equal and opposite reaction to telescopes.  When I brought home my first 8-inch telescope and proudly parked it in the living room, my wife reacted as if I had started a compost pile on the couch.  Nothing would make her happier than for me to move my telescopes to some remote corner of the basement or attic, or, better yet, out of the house entirely.  You better know what room your scope will be housed in before you run out and buy some telescopic beast that you need to haul up from the basement every night.  If you are storing it in the garage and plan to observe in the driveway, consider a reflector.  If you are keeping it in the house, far from where you'll observe, consider a small refractor.  

     Buying a Telescope

First, let me state that I have no financial interest in any telescope manufacturer or vendor. 

If you buy a telescope, try to avoid department or camera stores.  Why?  You want a place that can offer advice and answer questions - these stores simply don't have that expertise.  Buy from a local telescope store or one of the many Internet vendors.  Believe it or not, the prices are about the same as the Department store brands, but the quality is much better.  However, if you know exactly what you want and happen to see it in a camera store for a great deal, well, go for it!