My buyers fit the same mold. I haven't seen  many familiar names in the purchasers list.

I think that a number of issues have been raised in this thread, and not all the answers are pretty.

Issue One: Few people are active here in the forums.

The first time that I posted a message here, the response was far from welcoming. I don't even remember what it was about other than I had a question about something Poser 6 related, and I asked it. The first answer I got was incomprehensible ("just turn on what-ever-it-was"). I'm sure the poster thought he was being helpful. My mental response upon reading the answer was "Well, If I knew HOW to turn it on, I would! That's why I asked!" I responded with the "How" question and got something along the lines of "It's there in the Material Room." I scratched my head and opened the MR, not knowing about the advanced tab, and was bewildered. Another response told me to "Read the manual... it's in there." Well, DUH! The Poser Manual is SO clear, and SO well written. Oh yes... it's SO easy to find answers there. That was why I had asked the question.

One of the kinder posters finally took pity on me and answered my question in step by step plain English, but the net result was that I left feeling like an idiot, and it was a long time before I ever came back.

I said all of that to say this: I think we all could do a better job of trying to help each other. I don't think it's malicious. For example, the first time I asked Bagginsbill for help with an issue, he tossed the technically correct answer off quick as you please. I wrote back that I didn't understand, and then I got the simplified, step by step information I needed. BB wasn't being an ass... he was using the shorthand that the old-hands here use, not realizing that I didn't know 1/10th of what he does about the shaders. Once he realized what he was dealing with, he modified the answer so I could understand it.

So what does this amount to? Perhaps when we respond to a question, especially if we don't recognize the poster, we need to state it in simple language the first time, or at the very least attach the tag "If there's anything you don't understand in this, please get back to me."
Perhaps that way the perception that "I'll sound stupid if I ask this" would not be so pronounced.

A secondary part of this issue is the "I asked what time it was, not how to build a watch" syndrome. IF there is a simple answer, that is the first one that should be offered. You can follow it with "there's another way, if you're interested, but it'll take a bit of time." This will not frighten the newbies off, and might eventually lead them down the path to greater enlightenment about all things Poser.

Issue Two: Most Customers are not Modelers

My perception of most posters here is that they think the store is not all that important.  I think this because of countless posts I've read along the lines of "If I need something, I make it." Well, as someone who is not a modeler, let me assure you that to us, the non-modelers, the store is the reason to come to Rendo. The forum is a nice add-on for possibly getting help, but the reason we come is searching for content we need. 

I've been berated (usually indirectly) for not learning to model. Well, time for honesty. I don't WANT to learn to model. What I want to do with Poser is set up the tableaus that I create. Sometimes they are to illustrate a story. Sometimes they are just flights of fantasy. Sometimes they are works-for-hire illustrating someone else's fantasy. Whatever they are, THEY are what I want to work on. I'm not interested in spending days perfecting a model to fill in a detail over in the corner. I know that the people who model view it much differently. They want it to all be "them" in the image, and that is commendable. As I've stated before, I'm sure glad for the Trekkiegirrls, LukeAs, and LaurieAs of the world. They obviously love the modeling process, and they save me from having to do it.

Modeling is hard. Poser is easy. I suspect the vast majority of the store's customers view it the same way.

Issue Three: Most buyers don't have galleries.

I suspect that most buyers in the store do their Poser work to amuse themselves, not others. Of the ones who do share, they may be like me: I have my own site, and that is where all of my work gets posted. 

They may not feel that Rendo's Galleries are the appropriate venue. Some, perhaps, do only erotic material and post over at Renderotica. Some may think that the general audience would not understand/appreciate what they do, so they have found other venues with less general audiences, like Deviant Art. 

To assume that these people have no talent because they have empty galleries is probably a poor position to take. I think, more often, it is that they just don't think to post here.

Summary

I suspect that most buyers view this place as a store more than a community. Are they missing out? Well, I think so. Even though my views are often not appreciated, I'm glad I decided to get involved, because I've learned a heck of a lot hanging out. I suspect that more people than we realize lurk here, gleaning information from other people's posts.