*Merchant resource kits are the one thing I'd love to see Renderosity and Daz ban (along with anything made from them).  Every texture sold here and at Daz should be required to be created from photos the merchants took themselves.  THAT would help to ensure quality and a uniqueness to each texture set that would make it worth being placed for sale.

With the low cost of good digital cameras today, there's no excuse not to raise the standards.*

I agree,  although I have seen some hand painted textures that rivaled photos.