wrote:
On Thursday, March 17, 2016 at 6:26:40 PM UTC-4, Mike Collins wrote:
wsnell01 wrote:
On Thursday, March 17, 2016 at 1:36:19 PM UTC-4, Mike Collins wrote:
wsnell01 wrote:
On Thursday, March 17, 2016 at 12:47:01 PM UTC-4, Mike Collins wrote:

All young people in the UK and I assume in the USA have access to Facebook
on their phones. There are good Facebook groups for second hand
astronomical gear and the going rate is about 50% of new price.

That used equipment goes for a fraction of new price is most certainly not news.

If there are two million new scopes (mostly small refractors) sold in the
US each year, then one thousand astronomy clubs would EACH have to have
about TWO THOUSAND loaner telescopes available to meet such a demand. Do
the classifieds sell anywhere near that number?



They also have access to Auction sites where all kinds of telescope are
available new and used. I agree with you about department store scopes but
the young people of today are much more sophisticated and have more
choices.

Let me clue you in on something. There have always been good scopes
bought/sold and less-good scopes bought/sold. However, available "good
scopes" are not numerous enough, never have been and never will be, to
meet the demand for scopes by those who think that they -might- be
interested in astronomy and who need a reasonable way to find out.

The number of "proper" scopes is in the few tens of thousands. The
number of potential newbies is in the many tens of millions. Your
numbers are off by several orders of magnitude.


Brush up your comprehension skills I wrote "All kinds of telescopes. I also
wrote that I agree with you about dept store telescopes.

My comprehension skills are fine, but your math skills could use some work.

There are ~four million people born in the US each year, far more than
the number of "good scopes" produced each year, so most of the potential
newbies from that cohort will end up with cheaper scopes whether by
choice or necessity, when/if they become interested in astronomy. Buying
on auction sites and facebook has no bearing on that and doesn't affect
the prices. Before a scope can be bought used it had to have been bought new.



Brush up on your comprehension skills.
Whatever fraction of those four million bought telescopes of whatever kind
there will be a good fraction who outgrow or don't like their telescopes.
Many of them will give away, sell or throw away their telescopes. So the
second hand market will grow with the new market. I'm surprised, or maybe
not, of your ignorance of the working of a "free" market.
And try not to pick arguments when people agree with the subject of youth
thread.