This is a very common question, and of course there is no one simple answer. But that doesn’t mean there are no pointers to help you with your selection.
Now you can check out Astronomy magazine’s guide to choosing your first telescope, free on our website! You can read the article online here, or download a PDF guide here.
When i got into this hobby I did a lot of reading about scopes, trying to answer the question what scope should I get. Truth is i was left with more questions then answers. Then I made the mistake of asking what scope to get on CN. Good lord the opinions ran the gambit and left me even more confused. The simple truth of it is the only way to really know exactly what scope you should get, is to get your hands on them. Local astro clubs are invaluable when picking out a scope as there is no replacement for looking at them and getting hands on time with them. Then and only then will you ever really KNOW what scope you should buy.
This is excellent advice. Even if you can’t test out the exact model, this can help you narrow down your choices significantly. Some clubs (and public libraries, though of course this is location-dependent) even have a pool of scopes available to “check out” and try at home!