For those new to timeshares, the dizzying array of color designations that designate how desirable a timeshare is can be very confusing. In the color game, it is also important to know that, for example, not all reds are created equal.
Here is how the system works. Timeshare exchange companies rate timeshare property desirability by seasons. The value of some timeshares is highly dependent on seasonal demand. For example, most people only want to go to Vermont in the summer or during ski season. In the fall or spring when the weather can be dicey, there is not a lot of interest in going there. So for some Vermont timeshares, the summer and ski season color would be red, the most desirable designation. In places like Paris or London where there is no seasonality in terms of people wanting to go there, many of these timeshares will be rated red all year round.
A designation of blue or green indicates the time of least demand, depending on which of the two main ratings systems is used (RCI or II). Similarly, white or yellow are assigned to the shoulder seasons, depending on the rating system of choice. Timeshare ownership during the red season will generally cost more and be worth more on exchange than ownership during one of the less desirable seasons. For people wanting timeshares primarily for their exchange potential and who want to make the best exchanges, they should be astute in their choice of color and time interval.
What makes all this color business so tricky is that you can not just look at the color of a timeshare and directly compare it with another timeshare of the same color. This is because some resorts are more luxurious, and therefore have higher exchange desirability than others at the same destination. It can also depend on availability. For example, in the Florida Keys where a timeshare might be red all year round, demand in the hot, sweaty, summer will not be as high as it is in the middle of winter. As a result, the exchange points for the winter occupancy will be worth more than those at the same place in the middle of August.
Remember also that blue or green and white or yellow ratings are not all created equal either. If you are in the right location, right on the cusp of the white/red or yellow/red season, then your white timeshare in Scottsdale, Arizona might be worth more in exchange points than a red one in Orlando Florida because there are just too many available timeshares in Orlando.
So you see, color does matter. But keep in mind it is only good as a first cut in terms of what you want to look for.
