+1. I have well over that on a set of Forte Titans, some of the cheapest wheels out there.


And this is how long a decent set of handbuilt wheels should last:
Replace the bearings, maybe retrue the wheel once or twice, but unless you hit something big or get in a wreck, the brake track should be the first thing to go completely. Since track bikes don't use brakes, I used to train on a set of wheels that had been handed down from one racer to the next since the early 80's, then I passed them on to someone else in the late 90's. 36 spoke, 4x T&S, Campy Record hubs, Mavic GEL280 and GL330 rims fwiw, and all I had to do was repack the bearings every 3-5 years.

Edit: I think whoever told you that they were almost gone anyway was just trying to make you feel better.