What is the "best trader" ???

[carl2591]

I read post on this and other TUG boards where someone will say "there are no weeks left in williamsburg till jan08 ". someone will chime in about checking using "my best trader, one that get everything and then some.. " Only problem is they never say what that "best trader" is..

I know you can look at the profile to see where they own, if, they have all the units listed.. but then you are not sure what week they own in the resort, how many bedrooms etc..

SO, my question is " What is the best trader"? something on the east coast I can buy and use sometimes and trade other times...

I own what used to be "great traders" in DIK and a Suduwlla lodge. not so much now, so I am looking to get something on the east coast, preferably NC, SC, VA, FL...

interested to see what the results bear out..

thanks

PS being a tugger I buy resale

 

[elaine]

best trader has a variety of meanings

to some, it's the ability to get a top notch resort at peak times--for that you usually need to shell out big $$$ and get a premium points system. For many (me included), it means being able to consistently get very good trades in-season--such as Hilton Head, MB at decent resorts in the summer, skiing in the winter, etc. LAstly, there are those that mean a TS which they paid very few bucks for that can be used to "hunt" for hidden gems of trades.
Since you are in Raleigh, I suggest you consider a NC TS, either a summer mountain or summer beach week, which you might also be happy using--many offer day privileges, an added bonus. Look for high demand places with relatively low supply. good luck. Elaine

 

[rickandcindy23]

If you are looking for someone to mention a specific resort, that will be something many of us would like to know, so I will be watching. I have decent traders, but no resort will see everything because there are preferences in place for Marriott, Starwood, Four Seasons, etc.

Most people don't give up their exchange secrets on an open thread like this. You might have to ask around via private messages.

I hear WorldMark is a great system with equally great trading power.

 

[Mimi]

We rarely deposit our Hawaii weeks, but when we do, they are great traders. Most were bought resale on eBay, and all are floating except Kona Coast which is floating during summer season, which is prime for families. This may change, however, with the fuel crisis!:annoyed:

 

[judyjht]

My 2 summer Cape Cod 2 bedroom units always get me what I want. I say buy the largest unit at the prime season for that location for the lest $$ and you would probably be pretty safe.

 

[Lisa P]

I read post on this and other TUG boards where someone will say "there are no weeks left in williamsburg till jan08 ". someone will chime in about checking using "my best trader, one that get everything and then some.. " Only problem is they never say what that "best trader" is..

People say this because after owning more than one week for some time and looking online, it's readily apparent to each of us, which weeks will pull more availability than our other weeks. With thousands of resorts out there, this is so different for everyone. And a best trader into U.S. ski resorts may be different from a best trader into European cities.

BTW, the line you quoted about Williamsburg being unavailable (through RCI) for the autumn was an issue because Williamsburg is normally ALWAYS available during the autumn. It was obvious that RCI online had something strange going on. It has since resolved and there's plenty there now.

 

[FlyKaesan]

I hear WorldMark is a great system with equally great trading power.

That is why I bought WorldMark but...
WorldMark 3 bedroom can not pull Westin Hawaii unless if it's FLEX.
Either I am doing something wrong or Westin are going fast.

 

[jerseygirl]

There's a 3-day preference period for Starwood resorts -- only other Starwood owners can see the trades. Depending on the size of the deposit, there may be nothing left for non-Starwood owners. If inventory remains, a Worldmark would probably qualify (other owners have reported successfully trading into top Starwood resorts). But, sometimes the "good stuff" doesn't make it to the online system --- everything is matched to ongoing requests. If I were trying to trade into one of Starwood's top resorts with a non-Starwood resort, I'd place an ongoing request.

 

[yumdrey]

Worldmark is good for trading

I use my worldmark for trading purpose. I live in eastcoast, so I rarely use worldmark resorts, because most of them are in westcoast. Worldmark has great trading power, I've got what I wanted. I use II for trading.
I also have Massanutten resort in VA, it is 4BR/4BA lock out unit, and if I trade it with RCI, it has good ability as it is gold crown resort. But I use Massanutten resort for myself, it is very close from my house. In this depressed economy and high gas price, I recommend the resorts in your area.

 

[Steve]

Foxhunt at Sapphire Valley

If you want a GREAT trader in II with a low purchase price, relatively low fees, and a bonus week for your deposit, I'd suggest Foxhunt at Sapphire Valley. It's hard to beat.

http://www.foxhuntsv.com/FoxhuntatSapphireValleyTimeshareNC.php

Steve

 

[Mel]

People say this because after owning more than one week for some time and looking online, it's readily apparent to each of us, which weeks will pull more availability than our other weeks. With thousands of resorts out there, this is so different for everyone. And a best trader into U.S. ski resorts may be different from a best trader into European cities.

BTW, the line you quoted about Williamsburg being unavailable (through RCI) for the autumn was an issue because Williamsburg is normally ALWAYS available during the autumn. It was obvious that RCI online had something strange going on. It has since resolved and there's plenty there now.

Precisely - long-time owners with multiple weeks know which one is likely to pull something if it is availabe. You're probably referring to my post about Williamsburg, and that is exacly what I meant - My best trader.

My best trader is a weeks that consistently pulls everything seen on the sightings board, and often more than what the original poster lists. When you are familiar with the areas being posted, and many of the individual resorts, you can tell if you're pulling more because of more trade power (pulls more high-quality resorts), or because of lower VEP (pulls more because "lower quality" resorts are not screened out).

There is no "the" best trader, because of the way the exchange system works. A top rated, high demand week will not pull everything - some weeks will be screened out on the bottom end. If you happen to want to exchange into one of those, you will need to use something else (some areas only have "lesser" resorts, deemed so by the exchange companies because they are converted motels with few amenities - but they are still high demand/difficult exchanges some weeks because they are directly on the beach.)

Context is very important. With the Williamsburg situation, I was stressing that a week that should be able to exchange for ANY Williamsburg week available was not seeing anything in what is traditionally a slow season. It would be equally unusual to see nothing available in Orlando during early December or early January (but not unusual to see nothing available for certail holiday or summer vacation weeks).

 

[e.bram]

I think many of the best weeks are not deposited anymore. As timesharers get more sophiscated, they tend to use or rent for cash the super prime weeks. For that reason the best traders cannot get weeks that are not deposited.