I used a Wacom Artz III (the precursor to the Intuos, I believe) for so many years that I wore pits into the drawing surface. The thing was solid as a rock and still works fine -- except I didn't like the pits. So I found an unused Artz II 6x8 on eBay and got it for 100 bucks. The box was faded and had some water damage from sitting in the person's garage for years, but sure enough, when I opened it, it was like brand new. Everything was there. It's as solid as a rock and works fine, too. Just my experience with Wacom and eBay.