Interesting thread. Myself, i rarely buy texture addons, mainly because i can do it myself.
I don’t buy a lot of textures sets myself for this same reason. However, I have seen texture sets that have led me to buy the original item because they show what can be done with them.
I feel the main reason you see so many texture addons in the marketplaces is it is the easiest way for anyone with limited skills wanting to make a buck in this niche market. Granted there are some vendors that are exceptional at what they can do with textures, makes me wonder what they could do if they ever learned to model also.
I disagree that it takes only limited skills to make a great texture set. I have bought items that came with completely unusable UV templates. If I didn’t have programs and know how to use them to create my own templates, I would be stuck with only the pour and fill capabilities of Poser and DS (granted shaders, etc. allow some flexibility, but don’t create transmaps).
The same skills that make someone good at texturing do not necessarily equate to them being good at modelling even if they had the interest in doing that kind of work.
I think that they may have meant it gives them an entry path…most people start with creating textures or poses when they start to provide either freebies or paid for items. If you look in the market place there are probably more people texturing than creating models. Learning to model takes longer than learning to do basic texturing. I don’t think they meant it in a bad way…; )


