To reduce bitcointalk accounts being sold i think the ranking process needs to be made a bit easier. Getting to member status is doable, but anything above that is virtually impossible hence the dodgy market for BCT accounts
I think account sales have been around for quite some time, as a means to cut corners and skip the line, but are likely more expensive and coveted under the Merit System reign.
I concur that achieving one of the higher ranks is somewhat a chimera now for many, even simply moving one rank ahead (i.e. Sr. Member to Hero), but the solution in my opinion is down to getting a greater overall of merit in the system, enabling decent poster to rank-up at a pace similar to what was required before (the equivalent now would require on to earn a merit per day in addition to the activity factor).
Currently, the Merit System has allowed to the following amount of forum members to rank-up:
5 Hero Members to Legendary
17 Sr. Members to Hero Member
5 Full Members to Hero Member
60 Full Members to Sr. Member
8 Member to Sr. Member
77 Member to Full Member
16 Newbies to Sr. Member
69 Newbies to Full Member
2.968 Newbies to Member
9.053 Newbies to Jr. Member
That is 12.279 people who have managed to rank-up at least one level, although the higher ranks are particularly scarce in achievement ...