Meade · Maksutov-Cassegrain · 5 to 8 inches
Meade started the ETX line in 1996 with the little 90 mm ETX-90, a Maksutov-Cassegrain on a compact fork, and the 5-inch ETX-125 followed as the bigger sibling. It packs a 127 mm aperture and 1,900 mm focal length into a short tube at f/15, which makes it a sharp, high-magnification scope for the Moon, planets and double stars rather than a wide-field one. The fork has GoTo and runs on eight AA batteries, and the later ETX-125 Observer came with Meade's talking AudioStar controller. Being small and quick to set up, it's a scope that actually gets used on short clear spells. Meade stopped operating in 2024, so a working unit with its controller is worth more than a project.
The full kit
Check the listing photos against this list, and ask the seller about anything you can’t see. Plenty of listings are the tube alone or the mount alone, and a missing hand controller, power supply or counterweight should come off the price.
AA batteries left in the base can leak. The small fork's drive gears and motors need testing, since a scope that won't slew is a project. The controller and its cable often go missing from used kits.
New to used telescopes? How to check a used telescope covers optics, mounts, power and shipping, and what a complete kit looks like helps with tube-only and mount-only listings.
Buying guide
We'd buy the ETX-125 titled with its AutoStar and case at $816 delivered, inside the $775–1,400 band, because the photo shows the scope, controller, cables and manual together. There are at least 9 for sale, and two auctions sit lower with no bids yet, the boxed ETX-125EC at $389 delivered and a kit with tripod, bag and controller at $610, but both will climb. Ask any seller for a photo of the AA battery bay, a short video of it slewing on both axes with its own hand controller and a flashlight photo into the front lens at an angle, and ask whether a tripod comes with it. Meade stopped operating in 2024, so a dead controller or drive means third-party parts. Skip the $2,448 listing from China with a stock photo and a generic title.
$389.00est. delivered
The lowest price here at $389 delivered for an ETX-125EC titled in excellent condition, but it's an auction with no bids and will climb. The only photo is the retail box, so ask for photos of the scope and its controller before you bid.
Meade ETX-125EC Maksutov-Cassegrain Telescope in excellent condition
$815.60est. delivered
The photo shows the scope with its AutoStar, cables, manual and case, and it's $816 delivered, inside the band. No tripod is titled, so budget for one or plan on a sturdy table.
Meade ETX-125 Maksutov-Cassegrain GoTo Telescope w/ AutoStar & Case
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 14, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ. eBay shows yours before you pay.
Snapshot
Checked . Some may have sold.
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 14, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ. eBay shows yours before you pay.
Used$389.00est. delivered
$349.00 + $40.00 shipping
Auction · no bids yet · ends in 2d 2h
Good buy
ETX-125EC; the photo is the retail box. Auction, no bids yet.
Seller: sds9190
100% positive
Used$815.60est. delivered
$680.00 + $135.60 shipping
Buy It Now$680.00
Good buy
ETX-125 with AutoStar and case. No tripod titled.
Seller: jrodd777
99.7% positive
Used$610.00est. delivered
$525.00 + $85.00 shipping
Auction · no bids yet · ends in 2d 21h
Our take
ETX-125EC UHTC with tripod, bag and controller. Auction, no bids yet.
Seller: computerswolf1
99.1% positive
Used$737.87est. delivered
$649.87 + $88.00 shipping
Buy It Now$649.87
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Our take
ETX-125EC with remote, tripod, eyepieces and filters. The photo shows only bags and cases.
Seller: dhmoss
99.8% positive
Used$1,034.32est. delivered
$1,000.00 + $34.32 shipping
Buy It Now$1,000.00
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Our take
ETX-125 UHTC, shown on its tripod. Nothing else titled.
Seller: jimmassey
100% positive
Used$695.00+ shipping
$695.00 · shipping not stated
Buy It Now$695.00
Our take
ETX-125EC UHTC with LNT. No shipping quoted; ask.
Seller: rsachter
99.6% positive
Used$950.00+ shipping
$950.00 · shipping not stated
Buy It Now$950.00
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Our take
ETX-125 with a Vixen Great Polaris mount, per the title. No shipping quoted; ask.
Seller: woj_416
100% positive
Used$2,447.82delivered
$2,447.82 · free shipping
Buy It Now$2,447.82
Priced high
Stock photo and a generic title, from China. About 2.6 times the median delivered price.
Seller: primeliving-canada
98.2% positive
Prices change daily. The live eBay search shows everything listed now, including anything new since Oct 14, 2026.
See every listing on eBay ↗eBay search
Celestron
Schmidt-Cassegrain$1,375–$1,875 typical ask
Meade
Schmidt-Cassegrain$2,500–$2,500 typical ask
Vixen
RefractorSpecs and what to check →