How did timesharing begin?

[BocaBum99]

I heard it started in the French Alps in the 60's for skiers who wanted to share costs of condos or whatever they called them back then.

[PHILL12]

I always heard the timeshare idea started in Arkansas!

I heard the story that a farmer was tired of every person walking by stop to use his out house and started charging by the use.

He found they didn't stay long and he could rent it many times in one day because of its location.


PHIL

[tonyg]

Timesharing began in France sometime between 1964 and 1968 by Paul Doumier at the Superdevoluy Ski Resort in the French Alps (probably very close on on the border to Switzerland). Hapimag began acquiring properties in 1963 but they sold shares that entitled purchasers to resort accomodations and technically this wasn't considered timesharing
First American timeshare was in 1969, Kauai Kailani.
Continental first was Brockway Springs at Lake Tahoe- 1973.
Early Florida timeshares did not mention FT. Myers.

Just found a link to verify the above(if you can believe RCI): http://rcivip.com/2007/the-history-of-timesharing/

[Carolinian]

Originally Posted by tonyg

Timesharing began in France sometime between 1964 and 1968 by Paul Doumier at the Superdevoluy Ski Resort in the French Alps (probably very close on on the border to Switzerland). Hapimag began acquiring properties in 1963 but they sold shares that entitled purchasers to resort accomodations and technically this wasn't considered timesharing
First American timeshare was in 1969, Kauai Kailani.
Continental first was Brockway Springs at Lake Tahoe- 1973.
Early Florida timeshares did not mention FT. Myers.

Just found a link to verify the above(if you can believe RCI): The History of Timesharing, Timeshares in History, How Timeshares Began

Swiss developer Hapimag created the first timeshares, and their system has always been a points-based mini-system. They are still quite active today (see Startseite - Hapimag ) but until recently traded only internally. Earlier this year, they became a trading partner of DAE.

The French developer you refer to created the first weeks-based timeshare, which approach became much more popular in the market than the older points system, and thus it was the weeks timeshare concept that crossed the Atlantic.

[T. R. Oglodyte]

I think the answer depends a bit on how you define timesharing.

I don't think anyone knows when the first people got together and decided to buy a property jointly and set up some procedure to allocate usage and operating expenses. I'm sure that such arrangements were done quite some time back.

Now maybe you say that timesharing started when someone started selling that type of arrangement to the public. Well, again I'm sure that at some point well before 1960 one of those shared usage arrangements I referenced above was marketed to fill out the ownership roster. Perhaps ads were run in the newspaper, flyers were posted in a resort area, real estate brokers in the area were advised of availability, etc.

I would be surprised if some of those types of projects used a quasi points system to assign usage. It would be something such as being able to use the property more weeks if you use it during less popular times, or setting up auctions where members could bid on usage at certain times. I'm sure the people involved in some of those cooperatively owned projects were quite creative in deciding how to allocate time or allow members to rearrange their usage schedules.

Hapimag may be the first recognized "project", but I don't think there was anything done by Hapimag that hadn't already been done elsewhere. Hapimag likely only took things to a higher level and promoted the concept more visibly.

[T. R. Oglodyte]

Originally Posted by Carolinian

Swiss developer Hapimag created the first timeshares, and their system has always been a points-based mini-system. They are still quite active today (see Startseite - Hapimag ) but until recently traded only internally. Earlier this year, they became a trading partner of DAE.

Hapimag also now has an inventory swapping relationship with DRI.

[1950bing]

When did it turn into the sleezy tell any lie to beat money out of good ole folks who just like to go on vacations ?

[Jya-Ning]

I thought it comes when Mark Twain wrote the story that Tom sell his painting job slot to all the kids around town.

Jya-Ning

[lawren2]

Originally Posted by Jya-Ning

I thought it comes when Mark Twain wrote the story that Tom sell his painting job slot to all the kids around town.

Jya-Ning

another member here swears it's an offshoot of summer shares at house rentals on long island's beaches and perhaps it is.

[chriskre]

Originally Posted by 1950bing

When did it turn into the sleezy tell any lie to beat money out of good ole folks who just like to go on vacations ?

Well aren't you the angry one.