(whoops - for some reason eBay picked up the wrong ID in the previous posts and I can't seem to get rid of it)
I've had a store subscription since they were first available, although I've stuck with the Basic level on eBay since my inventory is spread over 3 different selling venues.
As 'poco' mentioned, you get 250 free fixed price listings on .com (and 250 on .ca also, if you want to use them). If you have any CDs that you can list as collectibles, you can also use your 250 free auction allowance if you have any use for auctions. Also, as 'poco' says, you should definitely open your store on .ca to save on the monthly fees.
One thing I expect you'll find once you open your store and get your initial 250 listings live is that you'll have a sudden uptick in sales. You may actually be able to stick within the Basic subscription for a while by listing groups of items at once (say within 2 or 3 days) after sales have made some room on your store allotment.
Actually, with all of the promos available to store subscribers, I think you might be able to list most of your inventory without upgrading to a Premium store. At least that would be my suggestion for the first few months -- try it out and see if a Basic store can work for you. There are a few extra features with a Premium store, but in my view they're not worth the extra $50/month if you can manage with a Basic subscription.
Keep in mind that eBay charges fairly hefty penalties to cancel a store subscription unless you wait until the last month of your annual subscription. I wouldn't be surprised if they also charge penalties for a downgrade. Just make sure you're certain before you upgrade.
As far as the benefits, I think the biggest advantages of a store are the branding potential and the features for organizing and layout. Don't forget to make good use of the "Categories" feature (and remember there are levels available in "Categories" so you don't have to have one long string of entries). And check out some of the promotional features too (use "Manage My Store" at the bottom of your storefront to access them, or through Selling Manager). For example, I use branded invoices, packing slips, etc., and have a good-sized store subscriber list who get my updates, sale announcements, etc.
By the way (last point here), I attended the recent Las Vegas eBay convention "virtually", and was surprised to hear one eBay rep unequivocally state that GTC listings are best if you want good internet-wide exposure. I know there is a lot of belief amongst sellers that relisting a 30-day item gets better attention, but apparently not. The eBay rep indicated that GTCs do better because the more views, hits, etc. they gather, the more visible they'll be on generic searches like Google. So, sometimes urban legend can be wrong!
I think you'll like having a store -- best of luck!
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