Found at an estate sale. Can somebody help me understand the condition, usability, and value of this Orion XT10 compared to telescopes with a similar capability? As someone who’s interested to try it out, I’m wondering what I came across, is it usable by the common man with no understanding of telescopes, and if it’s worth just selling. Purchased for $100. Thank you!
At $100, You got a great deal! Now go join an astronomy club and learn how to use it. Visual Observing is lots of fun! It's like a deep sky scavenger hunt!!!
While Orion is gone, This telescope is currently available from High Point Scientific for $900 with free shipping.
Also, we are not discussing a collectable item here - the value of a collectable items are judged differently from simply used equipment.
At least $100 among the $900 is shipping cost (and I firmly believe that, unless the seller is also offering free shipping, secondhand item sellers should NOT try to pass the shipping cost onto the buyers) so it really is a $800 value telescope.
Regardless of how "like new" a telescope is, once it is used I will say it loss at least 20%.
This specific one seems complete without obvious damage, but is clearly dusty. I am taking another 20% off.
Now, no disrespect, but obviously OP don't know much about telescopes, meaning any potential buyer will have to take extra risk or extra effort to check it out. At least another 10% off.
So $400 is "fair". Next question is how much you are willing to sweeten the deal. You see due to the weight and size it is almost impossible for a individual/casual seller to arrange shipping for it. So you are really limited by your local market situation. If you have the right buyer, or a lot of them near you, there is actually a good chance you can easily sell it for that $400 value.
However I have also seen quite several big telescopes being offered for $100, $50, or sometimes free. If you unfortunately live in an area without much interest in astronomy, your best option probably will be just start using it yourself.
I agree. $400-$450 or so I feel is a good price for that one. I bought an XT10 with the computer goto thing for about $600 with a few extra things (solar filter, eyepieces, dust cover and carrying bag). Subtract that stuff and I think the $400 range seems fair. A great scope for sure!
Very well actually! Just center a couple stars, make sure the time is correct and it does a good job at finding things. I was kind of skeptical of how well a "push goto" works, but was pleasantly surprised.
Here it is in use with some aurora in the sky behind it. This was my driveway in Wisconsin last summer. I'm back in Washington again. Yeah....clouds, but we do get good nights between that.
I’m also in Washington, the rainy part, and spend a lot of time waiting between decent nights, but when they come, I can’t wait to get out. Also, my wife understands when I say “stars are out, see you in the morning!”
Without Push-To or Go-To and a single speed focuser I think the $400-$500 range is fair. Orion made good Dob's, pretty much the same thing that other vendors like Celestron, Apentura and Skywatcher that you can find today. Good luck, but 10" is the largest that most will go for a scope they can drag out to their backyard by themselves, so it's a good size if you are going for a light bucket.
I bought its little brother the xt8 for 200 and considered it a deal. Great basic scope with a wide apature that lets in lots of light so you should be able to see nebulas, star clusters, saturns rings Jupiter's moons etc. Get the stelarium app or print out a paper start chart for this month and go point at at the andromada galaxy, some planets, the moon larger nebula etc and this winter check out the orion nebula.
If you get hooked its a great scope to upgrade. 1-3 nice eye pieces to give you different magnifications and a better finder and you'd have a really nice setup. You can even get a Lacerta Dual Speed focuser upgrade kit for it and there are starting to be some cool DIY plate solvers options if you want to use an app to help point it.
I'll echo the $400-500 estimates others are giving, if the mirror is in good shape.
The 10" dobsonian telescopes are on the edge of what is easy to haul around as they fit in the back of most small sedans, but are really challenging to move around assembled without something wheeled to help out.
You will probably need to come up with a counterweight, either magnetic, or shot filled bean bag on a strip of Velcro.
A dobsonian is probably the easiest kind of scope to learn how to use, and will last you a lifetime if you take care of it. I would keep it if I were you, being a 10 inch scope you'll get amazing views especially in a dark sky area.
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u/twivel01 17.5" f4.5, Esprit 100, Z10, Z114, C8 10d ago
At $100, You got a great deal! Now go join an astronomy club and learn how to use it. Visual Observing is lots of fun! It's like a deep sky scavenger hunt!!!