I think the one thing I'm remembering about resale is that, the stakes are just so much lower. You buy direct, and you better be prepared to keep those points for long time - I mean, you don't have to, but you'll take a big loss.
Buy resale, especially if you manage to hunt for a good deal, you're not as committed. Change your mind in a few years? Sell and buy something else. Of course, resale prices are never guaranteed, but we've got a lot history and a pretty robust resale market that we are all very familiar with.