I agree, Sean (I feel so WRONG about saying that!). Time will tell.

I suspect none of these sites will look the same way in a year. I do think there's a tendency for some to look at technology for its own sake, especially many in the self-selected group that participates on RAS.

On the other hand, the newer sites do offer more functionality (DIY ad creation/upload, multiple photos, links, buyer search, alerts of various sorts).. Not all sellers may think that's a plus, or even know how to avail themselves of these features. And adding them to Tim's site would require time and investment that he may not want to make. But in the interim, he may not have to. Because of his tenure and rich history and the relationship he has with a lot of us, he probably doesn't get a lot of push back from sellers if, indeed, he truly has an unwritten exclusivity condition.

And as I said, that actually works to the advantage of both his site AND the other sites.

Buyers may not feel the same way. And if and when there are so many gliders for sale that they begin to complain loudly about not having a true multiple listing service, the market may force changes. But buyers have been complaining for years about the lack of an MLS in New York City and real estate brokers/agents are just fine with it.

Technology is not a goal; it's a means to an end. It is useful to solve problems and to create competitive advantage. The used sailplane market is a lot more like selling one-of-a-kind luxury apartments in New York City than searching for discounted airline fares on Kayak, digital DSLRs on eBay, or the latest books on Amazon. So we may be stuck in the Dark Ages for a while longer.