Selling a drawing tablet

Overview

Absolutely, there is a market for used drawing tablets. Plenty of people look to buy used tablets for all sorts of reasons.

It could be:

• Nostalgia, or they just like collecting them

• They're looking for a bargain

• They are hobbyists looking for spare parts

• Their favorite tablet recently broke, and they want to keep using the exact same kind of tablet

Pricing

There are a couple of factors that can influence the price quite a bit.

Brand influence on pricing

Generally speaking, the brand strongly affects how much you'll be able to sell it for. To keep it simple, a Wacom drawing tablet tends to command a higher price than a non-Wacom tablet.

Used vs new

In my experience, Wacom tablets tend to retain more of their original retail price. Many slightly used Wacom professional tablets sell for almost the same price as a brand-new tablet from another brand. Other brands have never been able to command the same prices as Wacom, so set your expectations accordingly.

Age of the tablet

Drawing tablets can last a long time. I have used Wacom tablets that are 30 years old with modern computers.

However, just because a tablet still works does not mean someone will be able to use it successfully. Over time, tablet drivers may no longer support older models.

For example, older models that require a video signal may also require an older cable or video port that modern computers do not support.

In general, it's pretty easy to sell a Wacom professional tablet that's about 10 years old. Older Wacom professional tablets are more difficult to sell because of driver issues.

For non-Wacom tablets, they have really only become pretty good starting in the early 2020s. So I generally do not advise people to buy older non-Wacom tablets at all.

Finding more exact prices

If you want to find out how much you can sell one for, the easiest way to do that is to search for the model you want to sell on a site like eBay and see what people are charging.

Perspectives and criteria of the buyer

If you want to sell a tablet, it's very important to take into account:

• The buyer's perspective

• The kinds of things they're looking for

• The kinds of things they'll be checking for

To help you understand that perspective and those criteria, look at the docs below.

• Buying used drawing tablets

• Inspecting a drawing tablet

Where to sell

• eBay

• Vinted

• Facebook Marketplace - popular in North America

• Craigslist

• Sweden

  • Blocket

  • Tradera

• US

  • Mercari

• Japan

  • Mercari JP

  • Yahoo Auctions

  • Rakuma

• Canada

  • Kijiji

How to price

• Search seller listings and see what they are generally being sold for.

Selling old tablets

• For practical reasons, most people want relatively new tablets.

• Buyers may have to do special things to get older tablets to work, such as using an old or third-party driver.

Preparing the tablet

• Thoroughly clean the surfaces of tablets and pens.

  • They have been in contact with human hands and can collect all sorts of grime in their crevices.

  • See: Cleaning a drawing tablet

Tablet operating condition

• If at all possible, test the tablet. Here are some things to look for: Inspecting a drawing tablet

• If you have not tested it, be clear that you have not tested it.

• The surface of the tablet is critical for buyers. Move the pen across the drawing area. If you can feel bumps or scratches, explicitly mention that in the listing.

Tips for the listing

• Consider writing your eBay, Vinted, or other marketplace username on a piece of paper and including it in the pictures as proof that you really have the tablet.

• The title should include

  • The name of the tablet, including the brand

  • The model number of the tablet. See: Finding the model number of your drawing tablet

    • This is very important. Many tablets have very similar or identical names, and only the model number can be used to tell them apart.

    • I usually put the model number in parentheses after the name.

  • The size of the tablet

    • For screenless tablets, it will usually be in the name, such as "Small," "L," or "Large."

    • For screen tablets, it will often be a number in the name, such as "Cintiq 16."

  • Some tablets have a year in their name. Include it.

  • Good examples:

    • "Wacom Intuos Large 2017 (PTH-860)"

    • "Wacom Cintiq 16 2025 (DTK168)"

  • Bad examples:

    • "Wacom drawing tablet"

  • Be aware of some confusing names

    • "Wacom One" and "One by Wacom" are completely different tablets.

• Be clear in the listing whether the pen is included.

• Make sure the model number in the listing and in the photos match.

Tips for pictures in the listing

• Take pictures in bright lighting so the tablet can be identified. Most drawing tablets are made of black plastic, so otherwise all buyers may see is black plastic.

• Take a picture of the model number of the tablet. It's usually on the back. See: Finding the model number of your drawing tablet

  • I highly recommend this. Many listings on eBay mention one tablet in the title, but the photos clearly show a different tablet.

• Avoid editing the pictures. Potential buyers may take this as a sign of a scam.

• Do not use stock photos. Potential buyers may take this as a sign of a scam.

• Include clear, well-lit pictures of the pen. Pens don't have model numbers, so photos are needed to help buyers identify them.

• Include multiple shots of the drawing surface so buyers can see how scratched and worn it is.

Packaging and shipping

• If the tablet is screenless, it's usually pretty sturdy.

• There's not much inside.

• If the tablet has a screen, treat it delicately, as if it were a TV, monitor, or laptop, and make sure it isn't bouncing around.

• Make sure nothing is going to press on the screen.

Another very important thing to take into account is the pen. These pens are much more delicate than the tablet itself, so you especially want to make sure the pen is not bouncing around.