Andrew Rickmann of WP FUN raises several interesting questions about theme clubs in the WordPress theme development scene. Perhaps the biggest question is that of significance:

What specific need do they fill? What will convince WordPress users to pay for a theme club membership instead of paying a one-time fee for a premium theme? Or hiring a custom WordPress theme designer? (Let’s leave the free WordPress themes model out of this for the meantime.)

Andrew discusses several possibilities, like the fickle-mindedness of bloggers and bigger bang for one’s buck. What are the other factors that drive the popularity of theme clubs? It seems like such an arrangement could be the smartest way to pay for premium themes.