Would this be a tiger?

[calgal Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close calgal]

I have been looking for the Holy Grail-great trader, very inexpensive costs- and wondered what experienced RCI traders think of a standard 1BR wk1-14 ski week resort in Utah or Colorado. Would that trade up to 2BR GCs at prime times, or would the standard rating be a problem? I am comparing this to the Inverness at Walden phase II 1BR summer week. TIA.

[chellej Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close chellej]

I used to own a 1/4 share in colorado at a standard resort. Here is my experience:

weeks 51, 52, 10, 11,12 all tiger - a studio will trade for prime 2 bd GC

All other ski weeks including presidents day were ok but those 5 are the only tiger weeks. Having a 1/4 share I was able to essentially deposit many different weeks and christmas & spring break are the best in colorado.

Also inland Texas even in summer would ony be a so so trader. You have to have summer coastal in texas to get a tiger.

[jjking42 Member Find all posts View Profile Close jjking42]

listen to chelle

she has it right

[calgal Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close calgal]

Thank you. The ski weeks 10,11,12 are not what I expected to be the strongest, so that is valuable info. I was looking at a week 9 fixed week, I guess that would be good but not great from a trading standpoint.

[mshatty Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close mshatty]

Ski weeks 10, 11, 12 are generally spring break weeks in March. That's why they are so desirable.

[I-DE-HO Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close I-DE-HO]

I have a floating ski week in UT at a Standard resort (Park Regency) and I always reserve President's Week (usually week 7). It is a 'tiger' trader and I 'usually' can pull everything I see on the TUG Sightings board. I'm not arguing against what Chellj said but just giving you my experience. For years, on TUG, folks have said that the best spring ski week is #7, that's why I reserve it. Spring Break weeks vary at lot depending on your school district but President's Week is consistent. New Years (week 52) is supposed to be just as good, maybe better.

The fact that it is a Standard resort actually helps me see more weeks with RCI. They have a 'downward' quality filter that does not allow Gold Crown weeks to see lower rated resorts.

Phil

[jjking42 Member Find all posts View Profile Close jjking42]

I have a floating ski week in UT at a Standard resort (Park Regency) and I always reserve President's Week (usually week 7). It is a 'tiger' trader and I 'usually' can pull everything I see on the TUG Sightings board. I'm not arguing against what Chellj said but just giving you my experience. For years, on TUG, folks have said that the best spring ski week is #7, that's why I reserve it. Spring Break weeks vary at lot depending on your school district but President's Week is consistent. New Years (week 52) is supposed to be just as good, maybe better.


Phil

I think on the east and west Presidents week is a great week because they get more time off school. Not sure about that ? I know that tons of Texans flood Colorado during spring break and our spring breaks are all in early March weeks 9-10-11 That will change now.

The Texas law has changed and we can not start school until the third week in august. Our spring break will be weeks 9+10+11 in 2007 but will move to 11,12,13 in 2008. So we will now have even more difficulty getting spring break reservations.

This also means that Texans will be vacationing in august now and so their will be more demand for early august summer weeks.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

I can't speak to direct experience in making exchanges.

But in Pacific Northwest ski area sales and rental markets, a fixed week 7 commands the highest prices. At least as high as New Years week, and often higher.

[shopgirl Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close shopgirl]

Our CO ski week 1 is very popular because college kids in CO are still on break until after Martin Luther King Day, which is the third week of January.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

I have resisted opening this because I tend to shy away from trading power guessing. It is simply something not intended for us mere mortals.

Now that I have opened it, I will say that this topic is not intended for us mere mortals.

Trading power can be as fleeting as the monarchs on migration.

As I have exactly the same experience as Rochelle (we own Weeks 10 and 11), at one time I would have said what she is saying, and I did.

But I would not say that any more. I suspect things have changed a bit since Rochelle owned.

But, in general, if I were to subject myself to guessing, what she is saying should still be true at major ski areas, especially for Week 52.

I have also compared with owners in SW Florida for Weeks 1-16, and even some lesser resorts trade well.

But, if owners at the better resorts where and when you want to go are no longer depositing them, or the exchange company is renting them, or for whatever reason they are no longer available, what difference does trading power make?

[calgal Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close calgal]

JLB makes a good point

Maybe buying a week to trade for weeks exchanges in RCI is like jumping onto a sinking ship. I don't know. I have read how, objectively, the numbers of available weeks exchanges in coastal Florida has declined, how many units from weeks are showing up in rentals, how points raids weeks. Yet, there are still lots of good RCI sightings. I thought if I bought an inexpensive, low MF week to search with, I could see what's out there for myself and, if I was disappointed, resell it without too much lost. It sounds like for that purpose a 1BR standard Utah/Colorado ski week 7,10,11, 12, or 52 will work. I really appreciate hearing everyone's experience. Thanks!

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Email me and I'll give you some specifics, things I don't care to talk about on the Internet.

[calgal Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close calgal]

So, since posting this thread I have bid on, and lost to snipers on ebay, a 1BR fixed week 26 at Dolphin's Cove Anaheim and a 2BR standard resort in Breckenridge weeks 5-14 floating. Just to make sure I am on the right track, would these have been "tigers"?

[barclay Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close barclay]

breckenridge

Reviews of breckenrigde skiers edge suggest that it is very tired, so you may not have lost out on that deal.

[calgal Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close calgal]

Barclay, It wasn't Skier's Edge; it was a small t/s named Mark IX that does not have reviews on either Tug or tripadvisor. It has MF of $440 for a 2BR. No amenities, a mile to ski resort. I didn't have enough information to sort out its trading power, so I underbid and got sniped.