Question for Lawren2, but I want everyone else to chime in.

[billymach4 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close billymach4]

How long have you been timesharing? Lawren you are so enthusiatic about the EX OPS! I think it is great and I applaud you and Angela and everyone else that takes the effort to post. We all reap the benefits.

I am an owner for 2 years in October of 08. So I guess that makes me 1 1/2 years old.

How long have you been an owner?

[philsfan Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close philsfan]

December, 1998. Yikes, coming up on 10 years...

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

Not Lawren, but I've been a timeshare owner since 1974.

[joycapecod Silver Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close joycapecod]

1988 officially with my own, about 10 to 12 years before that using my parents weeks.

Joy

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

Bought my first t/s in 2000...
my world hasn't been the same since

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

Only about 11 or 12 years. I'm a baby around here. Used my sister's a few times before that.

The thing that got me hooked on the hunt for ex-ops is our first purchase was not a very good week. Thank goodness it was a very cheap foreclosure and belonged to a very small mini-system with a few very nice sister resorts.

The first 3 were home resort use and in-house trades. I started dealing with RCI right about when the on-line system there started.

I had to learn every trick in the book to get what I wanted out of that week and make up a few of my own.

Here are some of the exchanges we've used that bad purchase for over the years:


Pono Kai (July)
Laguna Surf (April)
Powhatan - 2 units (4th of July week)
Donatello (August)
OLCC (Thanksgiving)
Sedona (April)


I still own that bow-wow week. Just traded back to Riviera Beach for next Easter with it.

It is my reminder that even uneducated purchases, some really dumb luck and hard work can make these things work.

It is a different world now than it was then for sure and it's fun watching the evolution as well as a few of us dinosaurs still lumbering a long with our plain vanilla weeks.

Ex-ops is a daily reminder that plain vanilla can still be a great starting point for the ultimate fudge/caramel sundae.

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

January 2001......and it has been quite a ride since then.

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

About 3 years now for me. I researched for a long time before I tried it. I bought resale straight away...thanks to these forums.

Now I am an addict..and the places I have been! I had always sought out condos to rent with all my vacations unless it was urban and required a hotel room so I knew I wanted bedrooms and a kitchen.

Just yesterday, the kids and I were talking. One told me her friends family couldn't vacation this year due to gas increases/etc. They usually take very nice vacations. I said-Wow! They must wonder how we do it.

We are leaving for our second summer vacation tomorrow and we have another lined up for Thanksgiving. I just looked at my kids and said,

"Timesharing Rocks!"

[zdxlc9p6 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close zdxlc9p6]

First one was directly from Hilton in 1997, and then Krystal in Cancun in 2000 (Mistake). Since then three more Hilton managed properties from Hilton sales, eBay, and directly from the owner. Like the Hiltons, but not the Krystal.

[dale7 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dale7]

1999 and it has been just great.

[odaddy Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close odaddy]

3 years for me, I really missed out for a long time

[funtime2 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close funtime2]

About 10 years for me.

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

3 years for me, I really missed out for a long time

Uh, yeah, but I know full well you are making up for lost time. You go O Daddy

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

1992. In Orlando...everyone's first purchase was Orlando, wasn't it?

No? Oh well, at least it was a Cypress Harbour unit, which I still say is one of the nicer resorts there. We've gotten some surprising trade with this sport week--including KCRII (Big Island, HI) & Hyatt Key West.

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

1992. In Orlando...everyone's first purchase was Orlando, wasn't it?

No? Oh well, at least it was a Cypress Harbour unit, which I still say is one of the nicer resorts there. We've gotten some surprising trade with this sport week--including KCRII (Big Island, HI) & Hyatt Key West.

Cool, that was my first purchase, too. Resale, thankfully. Sold in a year for a profit, enough for a Platinum Marriott on HHI. Sold a few years later and purchased 4 great timeshares with the proceeds.

Have been missing a major hotel brand, though, am resisting jumping back in. Quite a habit this has become, for sure