This is SUCH a loaded question - it depends on your requirements and of course your budget!

When i was a teenager i had a very cheap "tasco" refractor scope, one of those "mall" scopes you always see.
I gained an interest in Astronomy again and right now i am torn between any of the 8" Meades or the Celestron Nextstar 8SE - with the Celestron through the bank very good reviews and opinions.

However, those are not $100 scopes, they will set you back $900 something and the Meade even more. It really depends what you want the scope for....if you only want to look at a planet/moon once a month for fun you don't need a $900 scope.

But the problem is that the cheap scopes (let alone the Chinese crap from ebay etc.) is really nothing more than..well...crap...and you will sooner or later get frustrated with them if you get only a halfway serious interest in Astronomy.

Alternatively, you can scour the web and astronomy sites/forums and if you are lucky get a deal or a used Meade or Celestron for cheap, maybe one which someone had on display in a store and is now discounted.

hey all, i got me a telescope... a VIVITAR 76700‏
Now i got a slight problem; if i point it to the moon i see... nothing
What am i doing wrong, i bought it second hand so maybee it's broke...
Do you need a full moon to see anything ?
Thanks in advandce...