i picked up my first telescope a few years ago. it's a daunting subject. i'd suggest checking out this reddit thread
Beginner's Quick Guide to choosing your first telescope
like firearms, you get what you pay for. and honestly, telescopes are a deep subject, so it's difficult to know what you want/need. it's like someone saying i want a gun and going into a shop and being shown a revolver, striker-fire glock, henry lever action, AR15, AR10, double barrel shotgun, and a beretta A300. here ya go, pick a gun!
this is a good resource,
A Backyard Astronomer's Guide. there's a good section on types of telescopes and what they are good for.
turns out like guns need good ammo, your telescope is going to require different eye pieces. and there's a bewildering set of specs that change the experience. wide angles, different focal lengths, etc. the backyard astronomer's guide does a good job explaining all that.
the telescope i ended up with is great for the moon and other planets. still haven't found any deep space objects because the red dot finder on the telescope is crap so aiming it isn't precise. it's not on a motorized mount (a whole 'nother ballgame) so you have to track the objects manually and turns out our planet is spinning pretty fast so everything in the sky is moving faster than you'd like.
if you're near a library, check to see if they check out telescopes. i know our local public library just got funding for more telescopes. just know, if you pay $200 for a telescope at Target or Costco, you're going to quickly learn you should have spent more.
