I also have a question about the World Passport Collect. Isn't it 160 points to trade for a one-bedroom somewhere else? If so, I can't stay in a one-bedroom in a DVC for a week for that number of points, it would be closer to 240 points? Right?? Or am I confused???
IMO, that is not relevant. To me the question for someone going in is what are the costs, what are the guarantees and what are the risks. I'll be specific to your question and example. Yes, 160 points will in theory get you a 1 BR as an exchange and no, you cannot stay in most DVC 1 BR units for 160 points for most of the year. However, lets examine the specifics of those realities. On the open market, those points are worth between $1600 & $1900 if one owned the points and rented them out. On the purchase side, lets keep it as simple as possible. Lets assume one traded once a year and bought SSR for 160 points just to trade. This would be the most pure type of comparison I could think of. So a buy in of $60 a point as a great deal = $10K with closing. Then you have yearly dues, lets be conservative and use $5 a point or $800 a year.
Before we close the cost loop, lets examine the exchange setup. As Jim referenced, there are significant costs, risk and limitations on the timeshare exchange side of things. First, there is a $95 non refundable fee, no guarantees that you'll get anything, that the resort you want will even have 1 BR units and that if something happens, you'll likely lose your points altogether. Also as Jim mentioned, many of the options that you or I may want may not even be on the approved list for DVC. Add to that the real possibility that the options will change over time or go away completely.
Lets explore the other options available, esp to those who are not yet members and truly have all options available to them to pick and chose. In most cases they could rent that none DVC 1 BR for the $800 dues OR LESS, often much less, and in the few situations they couldn't, you're not likely to get it anyway as an exchange. Besides cash, another approach to securing the same exchange would be another timeshare that exchanges with RCI. One example might be Bluegreen where one could buy currently for maybe $500-1000 (yes purchase) and yearly fees around $650 (equiv to a 1 BR yearly). For that situation one gets direct access to RCI with a full account that gives you access to all RCI resorts, the ability to trade that 1 BR for a 2 BR in many situations, access to cash rentals that can be as low at $199 a week and much better trade power if done halfway correctly. So you'd be more likely to get the exchange over the DVC owner in many situations. Then there are the other internal options if one did want to take advantage of the resorts in their system. There would be no guarantees with BG (or similar options) either other than the upfront savings and general likelihood of continuing to be in a better position than someone owning DVC to exchange. To be fair and try to be complete, the exchange fees with BG would be around $50 per exchange more if done through RCI (Or II as they are affiliated with both). It's more than fair to assume the yearly fees would be about the same overall.
So to put it all together, DVC is a VERY expensive option with no guarantees that plays second fiddle in the exchange world with far more limitations and overall costs than almost all other timeshares. DVC would also be a more expensive option that just paying cash to rent timeshares from members and various other outlets.
One who already owns is in a somewhat different situation though all of the principles still apply.