RE: Newbie - which cossbows should I avoid?
The main ones to stay away from are the offshore copies.
Other than that...Barnett is slowly working their way up the ladder.
I would't be afraid of the following company offerings, in no particular order-
Bowtech
Barnett
Darton
Eastman
Excalibur
Horton
Parker
Ten Point
All make both, lower end and higher end bows and accessories.
Mike