Some light tables can be very expensive; professional glass-top rotating tables can cost thousands, or you can find a large desktop box for just under a hundred dollars. I use a cute little Artograph light tracer box with a 10"x12" slanted drawing surface; I think I bought it for about $25 back in art school, and I've kept it ever since--though I think they're running a little over $30 now.
10 Essential Art Supplies for the Traditional Animator
By Adrien-Luc Sanders, About.com
Unless your eyes are better than mine or you have a penchant for torturing yourself with your nose pressed into your desk, a light table/light desk is crucial. Your light table has two primary purposes: to retrace your sketched frames, and to sketch new frames as in-betweens. With this you can light your artwork from below to make it transparent enough to see through for reference.
Index: 10 Essential Art Supplies for the Traditional Animator
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