Boz - I need headlights, the grass here grows in Nov and Feb, and it gets dark really early! :)
wish I had a good answer for that dragoncar. I'm in the same boat, I know I'll need to replace this one some day, and I'd like to get a Craigslist deal instead of new. This one was a Caldera brand, and it's been great; I'm not really disappointed that I'm getting blisters this late in the game. However, I have no way of knowing if new Calderas are built as well. I'm a little concerned that they could be using different bonding agents between the acrylic and fiberglass layers (more green) these days, that there may be some differences as to how they were built 15 years ago.
Like cars they do depreciate immediately, so I think if you find a Craigslist deal on one less than 5 years old, it's worth taking a chance. I would only get an older tub if I was planning on moving in the next 5 years, and wanted to leave it with the house sale.
One thing that I think has made this one last so long is that we run it year round, it's only been empty for one 4 month period when we moved. Here in the PNW it's never too cold or too hot outside to not use. I know people who drain and don't use in the winter (I don't get it), and the temperature changes are hard on them. We have pretty cheap electricity, so I think it's worth it, I figure $10 - 15 a month. And as for being Mustachian, in the winter we keep the house a bit cool, if we get cold we jump in the hot tub, and we're good for several hours in the house. Also, we've got a cheap place on Puget Sound with a view of the Olympic Mountains, so it's been well worth the price to have a warm place (and memories) to enjoy the outdoors, especially after hiking or skiing!