Strap in everyone, we’re in for an exciting aspect of being a working professional. … Yup.

I’ll start this off by saying: Not everyone cares about having the latest and greatest to do their work with. Some professional artists still use their Graphire4 they had in college over a decade ago to do fully finished work and that’s fantastic – amazing, even. For those who use more expensive ($1000+) gear however, it can be worthwhile to keep that stuff updated once in a while to avoid total depreciation. I cycle equipment about once every 4-6 years depending on the item, and I’m going to write about some of my rationale and process in this short guide.

Above: My workspace 2016

The Upgrade Cycle

If you’re looking to maintain a top-notch workstation for yourself, (within your budget and needs that is,) know that certain types of equipment (even certain brands) retain their value for longer than others. This should have some power in your purchasing decisions on what you buy into, as everything inherently has resale value years down the line offsetting that original cost. When something reaches about 50% of its original price in the used resale market (provided it’s in good condition,), it may be time to consider selling and upgrading. Here are some examples by what I mean:

• Dedicated Wacom Cintiq pen-displays or Intuos tablets retain their value for considerably longer than their mobile pen-computers (companion / mobile studio pro,) or other pen-computer makers (Microsoft Surface line.) A dedicated Cintiq will retain at least 50% of its value for about 6 years. A pen computer, meanwhile, will retain for 2 years if you’re lucky.
  
• Intel and nVidia computer components are more expensive up front but retain their value (and performance) for longer than AMD and Radeon. An nVidia GTX770 bought for $350 4 years ago can still be resold for $150 today and will still perform admirably for those looking to buy a second one for an SLI setup.
  
• In interchangeable lens camera systems, the lenses barely lose value over time if kept in good condition. The cameras themselves, however, pretty much hit 50% value as soon as rumors of the next model coming out start circulating. For example, a Canon EF-S 10-20mm bought for $800 10 years ago can be sold today for $650 in good condition and will likely not depreciate any further. (Camera lenses are rarely replaced with new versions, though, which is why.)
  

In practice, I recently upgraded my personal workstation from a Cintiq 21UX I bought in Fall 2010 to a Cintiq 27QHD-T. I bought that 21UX for $1600 six years ago, and sold it this last November for $800. That means, all things considered, it cost me only $800 to use that 21UX for those six years. That $800 I got back went into the $2000 the 27QHD cost me, merging part of my original investment in the 21UX into the 27QHD I have today. So the upfront cost of the 27QHD upgrade became $1200, and 4-6 years from now I’ll likely be able to sell this one for $1000-ish too, continuing that value-train.

Now, I hear you, “But aren’t you still spending lots of money over these upgrades?” Well, yes, of course. But it depends on how you handle your workspace. If you buy a Cintiq for $2000, you could run it into the ground over some 10 years or so and use up that $2000 investment entirely. By that time, there are probably some really new/different products on the market for you to drop $2000 on again for another 10 years of use. (Be prepared to buy something not-at-all like what you used to own, though lol.) Personally, I like going for half that time, getting half my investment back, and staying current with evolving products and workflows. (I couldn’t imagine using that 21UX for another 4-5 years for example. The 27QHD offers me much more now and I didn’t have to drop the $2700 MSRP on it all at once.) On top of this, someone else, such as a student or prospective digital artist gets to buy a well-cared-for used Big Cintiq for the price of the 13-inch one.

Above: what investment spread over many components looks like.

Lasting Value as a Purchasing Decision against Mobility

So, the point behind this is that the equipment you buy for yourself is an investment that demands consideration. If you have your eye on a $3000 Mobile Studio Pro 16″ but don’t own any other dedicated computer or equipment, know that $3K investment will depreciate fast and last nowhere near as long. Next year’s mobile CPU, GPU and energy efficiency advancements will smoke what you buy today in an all-in-one, demolishing value. Instead, $3K can buy a desktop computer with higher specs that will stay high for years, AS WELL AS the Cintiq Pro 16″ or Cintiq 22HD.

Then consider this next point: buying components separately spreads your investment out over an area instead of all in one single object. Having your Cintiq display separate from your computer (and your computer components accessible and interchangeable if you go a level deeper) allows all of these pieces to retain separate values over time, especially if one breaks down and needs replacing. In All-In-One solutions such as the Mobile Studio Pro, Surface, iMac, MacBook Pro etc, if one component breaks down, the whole system is useless and very expensive to repair if out of warranty. (And those warranties are SHORT.) But if you build the system yourself, a burnt-out power supply is an easy and cheap fix by yourself (that will likely still be under warranty too.) A busted GPU doesn’t even prevent you from using your computer, as the integrated graphics processor in your CPU can still take over until it’s replaced. And most of all – if your dedicated Cintiq display is still chugging along happily but you feel you need a performance upgrade, you don’t need to throw out the Cintiq with the computer. That’s $1000+ right there not tied up with the cost of the rest of your system.

Now, I understand, a custom-built dedicated workstation is not mobile, and there’s value inherent in being able to do work-on-the-go TODAY. But you do have to ask yourself what your necessity for mobility is? Do you have a 2 hour commute on a train every morning that you want to use to do digital art? That’s a fair point, go for it. Do you just want to occasionally doodle on the couch in-between lazily checking facebook? You may want to consider your usage patterns, then, and make a better investment in a workstation while buying an iPad or something for the couch sometime later.

Above: SPENDING $1700 ON THIS THING AS AN EARLY ADOPTER WAS A MISTAAAAAKE!

Reselling Equipment Tips

• Keep the original boxes for larger or expensive pieces. Not only does this retain more resale value, but they make the most effective protective packaging for shipping or moving.
• If something has damage or a noticeable amount of wear from use, be 100% transparent about that up front and adjust price ESPECIALLY if it affects normal usage. (Superficial cosmetic damage should still be described in detail or shown with photographs, but shouldn’t affect price much.)
• If at all possible, try to sell large equipment such as a big, heavy Cintiq locally to artists you or your friends may know. Shipping these is difficult and expensive, especially if you don’t have the original packaging anymore. Ebay will also take a sizable chunk off the top. Craigslist can be fine, just take all the usual CL precautions.
• Be realistic about the price of what you’re trying to sell. After all, you’re not just competing with the price of other similar used listings on eBay. How much is this product going for brand new? Is it on clearance sale now? Sometimes the price of a product brand-new can go down nearly as low as prior used listings, so be aware of this and price accordingly or you’ll never be able to sell it. Offer free shipping or undercut the lowest price offer of a similar condition to yours to sell faster.
• Selling equipment means you’ll be without it for some time before you get the replacement. It goes without saying, but if you rely on a piece of equipment and are looking to upgrade, you should be in a position to be able to save up the full cost of the new equipment up front while listing your existing one for sale soon after. That way you’re not out of commission waiting for a payment to clear and your order to process. Just make sure you do so without banking on your old equipment selling IMMEDIATELY to recoup cost. This stuff can sometimes take time to sell.

Above: So long, old friend.

When to Buy Used Equipment for Yourself

So naturally, if you’re selling equipment at a reduction, then of course there’s equipment out there you might want / need that you can also pick up for cheap. And there are many situations where that can work out for the best for you.

Factory Refurbished Products: Refurbished products were once faulty products that were repaired by their manufacturer to be as good as new and resold as “used with warranty.” I wholeheartedly believe in buying Refurbished whenever possible. You’ll often get 30-40% off of the MSRP while receiving a product with full manufacturer warranty, as-good-as-new physical condition, and a guaranteed-to-work seal of approval as someone in a service center actually had to test the unit for full functionality, (something you don’t get from brand new products.) I’ve bought many Refurb’d products over the years without a single issue, including my new Cintiq 27QHD-T, which is why it only cost me $2000 instead of the brand-new $2700 price. The unit I received was indistinguishable from a brand-new one, I’ll gladly keep that $700 thanks.

You can find refurbished products most commonly sold through online vendors (BuyDig, Amazon Warehouse Deals, B&H,) or electronic store chains (MicroCenter, Fry’s Electronics, Guitar Center.) Many store outlets will simultaneously sell through eBay as well, so if you see a vendor selling a Factory Refurbished product with MANY in stock, they’re probably a retail store somewhere trying to sell off backstock.

Lastly, tech companies themselves rarely set up and run booths at conventions themselves. They hire third-party marketing and rep companies to do all that for them. These companies have to buy the products they demo in their booths and are desperate to sell off what they have at the end of the year. If you get in touch with these companies you know service an area, (especially those that rep for Wacom,) you could score something you’ve wanted for a ridiculously low price.

Obsolete Products: Remember what I said earlier about computer products dealing with CPU’s and GPU’s, especially mobile products, being particularly prone to losing value quickly? Well, often yester-year’s best is still just as good today for most needs. That high-spec Surface Pro 2 you had your eye on in early 2014 that cost $1500? Fast forward two years, it can be yours now for $250 on eBay WITH a Keyboard Cover and two chargers. Need a good graphics card for your computer? The GTX 770 cost $400 a couple years ago when it came out. Now you can get it for about $100 and it’ll smoke similarly priced budget Radeon cards. You can build a very strong workstation out of used (and even some new on clearance!) Fourth-Generation Intel Core-i era components for peanuts. (I’d know, that’s what I’m using lol.)

So basically…

All-in-all, you could get away with spending as little as $1000-$1500 (WITH a used/refurb Cintiq 13HD) for a serious setup that will last for many years if you keep a look out for deals. If at all you were wondering, I’d value my current setup at about $4000 everything considered (even the desk.) It’s a mix of 2013, 2014 and 2015 generation parts / products and I don’t foresee having to replace anything in it for at least 3 years from now. My Cintiq Companion 1, pictured earlier, I bought for $1700 in 2014… is worth probably less than $500 today due to various terrible hardware issues and obsolescence from from the far superior Mobile Studio Pro.

My last word of advice is: Do you have a workstation now that you haven’t been using? Don’t upgrade it thinking shiny new tech will somehow magically get you out of your rut, or cure deep-set procrastination. It won’t. Try to fix your work ethic before upgrading, if not, save yourself the time, money and effort until you do. Upgrade by necessity, not by desire. If you haven’t been using something that could work just fine, is it necessary to upgrade it?

Uh, anyway — I think that’s all I have to say on this topic. If you have any questions feel free to ask me. I’m not sure what compelled me to write this, lol.

What? Hey where’d all my shit go?