Hi,
The vague explanation from eBay is because the search function on eBay is undergoing a lot of changes right now, so far, I don't like them. A lot of sellers are really upset, you can check out the community thread for "search". http://forums.ebay.com/db1/thread.jspa?threadID=1000347...=0&mod=1192550471031
I love my eBay store, I get a lot of sales from it, even with this search fiasco.
Basically, in a normal eBay search, a store item will appear in a separate section below the auction section only if it meets certain criteria specified by eBay. And yes, there is no thumbnail pic, but if there are no "auction" hits, then there will be a thumbnail. Or if someone does a "stores" search, there will be thumbnails.
As for opening a store, I say, try it for a few months and if it is not worth it, just cancel it! It's only $16.99 per month.
The thing I like is that it's only .05 to .10 cents per month for a listing, you can keep a listing on eBay for a year for dirt cheap. I also think that it is better if you are selling something that not a lot of other people are selling too, a store may not be good for items that tons of other sellers are selling too.
Regards,
Rick