One thing I'm worried about is if I get a "lemon" and me being new to spotting scopes not being experienced enough to notice the flaws. I'd really appreciate some advice on easy tests to perform. I do have 20/20 vision, or atleast the military review told me, so I should be off to a good start
This thread may be useful to start:
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=343582&highlight=star+test
Check out the comments by henry link and surveyor, they offer practical advice for appraising optics.