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jeff sfyi, the "standards" for powersellers have gone down. It used to be that, to be bronze power seller, you would have to sell $2k worth of stuff two out of three months. Now you have to average $1k a month. The effect has seemed to be that some of us that do a decent amount of selling are now invited, though we wouldn't have been some months ago.
http://pages.ebay.com/services/buyandsell/powersellers.html
From that page: "Look for the new PowerSeller icon next to the member's user ID, as that is our new symbol of recognition for qualified PowerSellers. That way you can feel assured that your transaction will go smoothly and that you are dealing with one who has consistently met the requirements established by eBay."
The upside, perhaps, is that if way more people become powersellers, the tag will lose its effect, and the Huffs of the world will look no better than the zero-feedback scum that peddle 206 wagners. And perhaps more importantly, along the lines of Scott's remark, if more good guys are powersellers alongside the jerks, we'll have more pull.
Though I'd have to see that to believe it.