# Are RCI points chart a good indicator of trading power in RCI weeks?



## bugzapper (Jul 12, 2008)

Should I be able to use the RCI points charts to guesstimate the relative trading power of a timeshare in RCI weeks? Is there any relation? I perceive the RCI points charts to be a bit skewed. For example, the following are each 2 bedroom units at gold crown resorts which have similar point values:

Week 39, Swan Mountain Resort, Dillon, CO,   61500 points
Week 39, Summer Bay Resort, Kissimmee, FL,  60,500 points
Week 39, Capistrano Surfside Inn, Capistrano Beach, CA,  59,500 points

Now, I've never been to any of these resorts, but I can take my own guess as to relative demand. By week 39, Colorado's short autumn aspen leaf viewing season is usually past prime, and ski season hasn't started yet. That week also has pretty low demand in Orlando and week 39 at Summer Bay Resort can be obtained very cheaply on giveawayweeks.com  . On the other hand, early autumn can be an absolutely wonderful time on the California coast--so you can probably tell which resort I would value the most--the one that RCI awards the fewest points!

I know I can't expect you to know how each of these weeks would trade unless you've actually had experience doing so, and I know that past trading value may have little to do with future trade potential--this was just meant to be an example of point values that seem a little off to me. I was just wondering if any of you experienced traders think there is any correlation between RCI point values and trading value in weeks. If so, I would expect to be able to trade between any of the three weeks used as an example (assuming anything was deposited.)

Anyway, if this is a tired subject that has been hashed over a zillion times, I apologize up front--I wasn't able to find an answer to this question doing searches.


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## bnoble (Jul 12, 2008)

I think the charts for *a single resort* are pretty useful for giving a picture of annual trends.  Between resorts, less so, for a variety of reasons.  Between areas?  Not much at all.

The points-for-deposit charts probably give a better indication of relative demand between areas, though I'm sure even they have some interesting quirks.


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## joycapecod (Jul 12, 2008)

bugzapper said:


> Week 39, Swan Mountain Resort, Dillon, CO,   61500 points
> Week 39, Summer Bay Resort, Kissimmee, FL,  60,500 points
> Week 39, Capistrano Surfside Inn, Capistrano Beach, CA,  59,500 points



Well, take a look at summer on Cape Cod. My studio on the beach in Provincetown (often July 4 week) is worth I think 18K points. When I deposit the unit I can see almost anything in the weeks bank. If I take it for points for deposit I can get next to nothing because of the limited points value. Yet, my 2 bedroom Orlando unit for Memorial Day week is worth more than 3 times the summer studio on the beach and yet it see next to nothing in the weeks bank. Another example is a week 32 3 bedroom unit I own in Ireland. Value in points about 60K...a nice amount of points but I can't get a 2 bedroom on Grand Cayman in February with that amount of points  (need over 75K) but I can see the Grand Cayman unit on the weeks side and anything else out there as long as there was something deposited.

The weeks you cite would be excellent weeks for points deposits (PFD) but lousy weeks traders in my opinion.

Joy


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## "Roger" (Jul 12, 2008)

[I believe that all the resorts cited by to OP are Points resorts and thus not available for PFD (Points for Deposit).]

In general, looking at Points for Deposit values would be a very poor indicator of trade values.  (The prior post cites a good example of this.  A non-rated studio wouldl get few points on the PFD charts, but, given a prime location do well in terms of trading power.)

Point values for actual Points resorts in general are a better indicator with one caveat.  

[What follows is very much my personal opinion based upon casual observation...]  RCI needs to rent some of the Point deposits to pay for when people use their points for things like airline travel.  The resorts near popular desination areas (read Orlando, Branson, etc.) are easier to rent to the general public than resorts in less travelled areas.  Thus, resorts in areas like this might command more points than there actual worth within just the timeshare system.


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## jlwquilter (Jul 12, 2008)

I just went thru this thinking a week ago - when deciding what Cape Cod to buy off eBay. One week was converted to points, but a very measly amount as Joy also pointed out, especially as it's a prime tiger trade week in RCI. The other week was non-converted, also a prime tiger week. I bought the non-converted week (for less $$ than the other one went for - but to be fair, the other resort was a nicer resort) as I ultimately decided that I would never use the points so why pay for the "priveledge" of having them.

All to say, if you are buying for ponts, then get as many points for the price/MF as you can and don't worry too much about the underlyiing week. If you are buying to use or trade as a week, then look for that strength. Awarded points and weeks trade strength are NOT necessarily related.


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## Janie (Jul 13, 2008)

Based on my experience, Points values bear no relationship to trading power in Weeks, even when comparing different weeks at the same resort.

A couple of years ago, I purchased an 1 BR unconverted week at a Points resort.  By the time the closing occurred, the deeded week had already passed but the resort management offered me the chance to have two studio units deposited in my Weeks account if I paid the MF on the 1 BR.  (What a deal!)

The weeks deposited turned out to be week 51 and 52 at a GC ski resort in Europe.  According to the Points chart, they were both the same (high) Points value.  However, in the Weeks system, 51 turned out to be a dog but 52 was a tiger.

Two lessons:  Beware of buying a week 51 (Christmas) in hopes of getting a tiger trader in Weeks.  And, you can't use Points value as an indicator of how something will trade in the Weeks system.


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## skimble (Jul 16, 2008)

Janie said:


> Based on my experience, Points values bear no relationship to trading power in Weeks, even when comparing different weeks at the same resort.



I agree.  I own at San Clemente Inn where it requires between 20K and 28K points to get a summer week.  Yet, trade value for a summer week on the weeks side is really high.  
There are other resorts like the one in Tehachapi where they get high point credits for their week deposits, but you'll find it's an easy trade with whatever you have.


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## bugzapper (Oct 8, 2008)

*Correction*



bugzapper said:


> By week 39, Colorado's short autumn aspen leaf viewing season is usually past prime


This year, the fall colors are lasting well into week 40--and the weather has been quite nice throughout Colorado. It really is a great time to be in the Colorado mountains! 

Just thought I ought to correct myself--in case someone makes planning decisions based on what I had written earlier...

But really, you never know, an early snowstorm can knock all the leaves off the Aspen trees in September and then you'll miss out completely.


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## Carolinian (Oct 8, 2008)

I have pointed out numerous examples in the past of insane relative values in RCI Points.  There is way too much developer politicking going into setting points values, as is to be expected from any published system.  That just creates way too much incentive for developers to push hard for values they don't deserve based on real supply and demand.

The supply/demand tables in the European version of the RCI Weeks directory, which now are scattered through the directory instead of conveniently on one page, are a much better indicator but do not include many resort areas in North America.


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## gorevs9 (Oct 8, 2008)

"Roger" said:


> [In general, looking at Points for Deposit values would be a very poor indicator of trade values.  (The prior post cites a good example of this.  A non-rated studio wouldl get few points on the PFD charts, but, given a prime location do well in terms of trading power.)


The PFD chart for the Northeast covers 11 states.  While a summer studio on the Cape can be in high demand, it is (unfortunately) lumped into the same category as summer studios in a less desirable area; thus lowering the PFD value.  A Cape Cod summer studio at a Points resort would be worth in the vicinity of 40K to 45K points.


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## Larry (Oct 8, 2008)

joycapecod said:


> Well, take a look at summer on Cape Cod. My studio on the beach in Provincetown (often July 4 week) is worth I think 18K points. When I deposit the unit I can see almost anything in the weeks bank. If I take it for points for deposit I can get next to nothing because of the limited points value. Yet, my 2 bedroom Orlando unit for Memorial Day week is worth more than 3 times the summer studio on the beach and yet it see next to nothing in the weeks bank. Another example is a week 32 3 bedroom unit I own in Ireland. Value in points about 60K...a nice amount of points but I can't get a 2 bedroom on Grand Cayman in February with that amount of points  (need over 75K) but I can see the Grand Cayman unit on the weeks side and anything else out there as long as there was something deposited.
> 
> The weeks you cite would be excellent weeks for points deposits (PFD) but lousy weeks traders in my opinion.
> 
> Joy



Completely agree!!! I have several caribbean studio's that are prime winter weeks where I would get insanely low amount of RCI point but I can trade them for 1 and 2BR units in prime locations during prime season all over the world yet lousy trading 2BR Florida weeks 25 miles from the beach can get 86,500 points RCI points per week.


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