If you had to do it over again, would you change your direct/resale strategy?

[beldred]

We bought 100 points resale, because it was what we could afford at the time without financing. I’m kind of wishing we bought 125 points direct (the minimum for blue card at the time) and financed a little bit.

Now I’ve watched the blue card minimum go up, and the direct price go up, and I kind of feel like we missed out. But it’s kind of irrational. I’m not sure we would actually use many of the perks, but there’s a bit of FOMO, in being a white card member. But I’m still trying to decide if there is any real benefit to blue card for my family. We don’t get discounts, but we saved about $5,000 buying resale, i got my discounts all up front. We don’t go frequently enough to use annual passes. We don’t live close enough to be able to attend MM or special events/previews unless they happened to happen when we were already planning on being there (unlikely).

We’re talking about adding on a few more points and trying to decide if we should buy direct with the eventual goal of becoming blue card members, or if we should add resale and just enjoy the few thousand dollars we saved. There’s an emotional piece that makes me regret not going blue card at the beginning. But my math brain thinks we made the right call.

If I could go back in time I’d buy direct for the perks, if only to shut-up the emotional side. My math brain would be ok with it because it was a lot cheaper to get the blue card a few years ago, vs now.

I could have posted this (without the past time frame). We crunched a lot of numbers and choose resale a few months ago. And there's a part of me that feels bad for it. That wants that blue card. Even though I go only every 18 months and would never get an AP. Would never attend a special event without extreme good luck of timing. And was able to pay cash for the contract in a way that had zero effect on our life and savings. And would never recoup that extra money through merch and limited food discounts. But yet.... FOMO. Or the shame of a second class citizen....

 

[Cfabar1]

The FOMO with Blue Card is real… And I might do it eventually, and given my limiting factors with buying additional contracts, buying direct may prove to be the best way to go From time to time….

Logically though, I just can’t wrap my head around paying for it… yet… But I am mostly buying VGF, and would want to use my points at VGF or possibly at AKV (which I still can do) and maybe from time to time in the EPCOT resort area (which I can until 2042 and then all bets are off!). However, by having our hearts set on VGF, we are paying for one of the grizzliest points charts in the entire DVC empire. We considered going direct, however with the prices coming down in resale, it became just about impossible to justify. We are Florida residents, so can already get APs and discounts, the member nights are few, the Villain’s lair is expensive, and EPCOT lounge, while nice well… the main attraction to me is the parks…

Though we have no intention of selling, it is nice to know if we do, we can recoup more of our investment than direct. However, ado it is is very real, and if some DEC use years don’t show up soon, I might have to go direct!

 

[E2ME2]

I'm curious... we have the thread about why would anyone buy direct, but I'd love to know if anyone who only has resale sometimes kicks themselves for not buying direct (since the buy in minimum jumped to 150 points) or who has since done so for the blue card or is thinking about biting the bullet? Likewise, anyone who bought direct who thinks they might have been better off sticking with resale? If you had to do it over again, would you change your buying method? Feel like this is the one decision that causes the most angst (no, just me?!?) and would love to hear from others. Is the blue card worth the up front outlay? If the "value" of the card is MM (if you can get in), having the flexibility to stay at all future resorts (especially once several are done in 2042), plus lounge access, does it justify the added expense? I'm removing discounts from the equation since those can be had with an AP or Disney card... What say you?

Hmmm - Strategy ??
Hindsight being 20-20, I probably would have made some changes, but I never dwell on the past.
When we first bought, we knew nothing about the Resale Market, and the "Blue-Card" distinctions.
For a couple years we remained ignorant of all the possibilities, but then I found the disboards.
Now, after starting with 1 Direct Contract for 1 Home Resort-225 points, I have 7 contracts:
3 Direct, 4 Resale, and 4 Home Resorts for 920 Points
I often say that I should have bought more points, and bought them sooner, but the truth is that I could not have afforded DVC when I was in my 30s-40s as I spent my money in those years very frivolously on things like the mortgage, food, and the children's education.
More research, pre-purchase, would have been a good idea.
Now we have a totally different strategy - enjoy ourselves as much as we can for as long as we can in retirement.
You can't take it with you!

 

[crazydad123]

All resale: 200 pts at SSR in 2007 gives us all the perks. 100 pts at VGC in 2015 has most of the perks, 166 pts at BLT in 2019 has no perks. Early on, we did use points for rooms at Paradise Pier and the Grand Californian. Also did a cruise. Now, our points only go for DVC rooms or to rent. Just put in a contract for OKW at a very low price, waiting for ROFR to clear.
If I could do it over (and had the money at the time), I would buy Grand Californian direct in 2011 when it was $95 per point and less. VGC was a slow starter for 3 years, and I am really cautious about the VDH rooms, especialy if they have restrictions and prices like Riviera.