I have a Pamco cot, a secondhand one. I did notice when we bought it that the plastic parts were a bit worn, but the cot was about 10 years old so I wasn't terribly surprised. They weren't worn out, though, just looked like they had been used a lot. In the end, when we took the cot apart to repaint it, we lost the plastic parts, and we ended up ordering new plastic slides and runners, as well as new teething guards for the sides, from the Pamco factory in Christchurch. I think they're no longer in business, so now am not sure where extra/replacement parts would come from. As for the sturdiness of the cot, it is of very good quality and once we repainted it, it looked and functioned like new. We've never had any trouble with the drop sides -- in fact, my baby is 18 months old and we've only used the drop side a handful of times, as she's still light enough that I can lean over the side to get her out. Hope this helps!