If you look at total local markets, of which eBay is probably only a tiny fraction in any of them, you may well get a different picture.
The most active part of the retail market tends to be those who buy to own, and they tend to go through more localized markets instead of national markets.
Here is what I found and posted on another site recently on NC Outer Banks resales, comparing 2007 with 2011:
http://www.timeshareforums.com/foru...es-test-t-s-resells-down-only-marginally.html
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Some look at the timeshare bargain basement of eBay and conclude that the bottom has fallen out of the timeshare market generally. It may have for certain areas, but certainly not all. In running my usual test of the area I am familiar with, the Outer Banks, it is down marginally but still cooking along rather well for the state of the overall economy.
As usual, I looked at only Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills. The eight resorts in these towns are all oceanfront and all member-controlled, with the developers long out of the picture. I did not include Duck or Kitty Hawk due to developer control at some resorts and developer sales or developer resales skewing the market. I also did not include Hatteras as its one timeshare is tiny (only four units as I recall). Dare County records are good for actual resale records because the procedures of the local land transfer tax, unlike the state tax stamps elsehwere, have more strict procedures like requiring a sworn affidavit as to the amount received, which are usually done by closing attorneys and correspond with the figures on the 1099's that are filed with the IRS, so they are usually accurate.
I looked at the Spring period, the months of March, April, and May for the years 2007 and 2011.
Total resales in both areas were 65 in 2007 for these three months and 49 in 2011, a 25% decrease. These numbers do not include deedbacks to HOA's or owner to PCC deeds.
As the prices and specific weeks selling, here is the breakdown:
2011
Kill Devil Hills
Prime Red: 14 sold, average price: $7,085
Pink: 11 sold, average price: $1591
white: 3 sold, average price: $100
blue: 8 sold, average price: $412 (distorted by a T'giving wk at $2700)
Nage Head
Prime red: 1 sold price $5,700
Pink: 7 sold, average price $1,742
white: 0 sold
blue: 5 sold, average price $140
2007
Kill Devil Hills
Prime red: 13 sold, average price $6,884
pink: 16 sold, average price $2,867
white: 6 sold, average price $633
blue: 9 sold, average price $655
Nags Head
prime red; 1 sold, $6,700
pink: 10 sold, average price $1,964
white: 2 sold, average price $225
blue: 8 sold, average price $229
As to HOA transactions, in 2007 Nags Head had 10 HOA resales and no deedbacks , while in 2011 it had 4 HOA resales and 3 deedbacks in these months. Kill Devil Hills had 7 HOA resales and no deedbacks in 2007 and also 7 HOA resales and no deedbacks these months in 2011
As to PCC transactions. in 2007 Nags Head had 1 week deeded in to a PCC (pink) and none out, while in 2011 there were no PCC transactions in or out. In Kill Devil Hills, there were 12 weeks deeded to PCC's (1 prime, 6 pink, 1 white, 4 blue) in 2007 and 2 deeded out, while in 2011 there were 7 weeks deeded in to PCC's (2 pink, 5 blue) and 3 weeks (2 white, 1 blue) deeded out.
So, in general, the timeshare resale market on the NC Outer Banks seems relatively stable.
