I just found this fascinating series of photos of Serious amateur observatories, including pictures that they have taken with the equipment.

It includes a list of the equipment used and the prices.

http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/multimedia/2007/08/gallery_telescopes

those are some impressive setups

these kinds of remote controlled scopes in custom built domes on top of mountains seem to me like the pinnacle of amateur astronomy

it is expensive but it is not necessarily unreasonable or unfeasible, the sky is there for everyone to see and for me it is very exciting to have the prospect of one day doing something like this