A little late, but here're my thoughts:
First off, I'm more than happy to pay up to US $30 for membership. I certainly don't want to pay it on a "per-par" basis as Phantom suggests, because £30 is significantly more! 
I'm thinking a webzine approach to the main site might encourage people to think more in terms of paying. Have a stream of columns and articles from any of the members. There are a number that regularly come up with good ideas in the forums - putting these into the main site will let the casual users see them, and make them easier to find for the regulars. I'm thinking of the likes of C5, Tyger and so on here - possibly strictly by invitation (or acclaim)? I'd guess authors, editors and layout people could volunteer. We've got enough wannabe writers here that it would be a good place to build up a portfolio. Likewise for artists.
Archive the older articles, in a manner similar to the old site. Categorise them by subject, degree of canon, period.
The zine itself would be pay, the archive free (with the delay already mentioned).
Add a forum(s) strictly for online gaming. I notice there are a number of people playing in the gaming forum, but it does rack up the noise level for TT games hunters. You could make these available to the paying customers only. (With the dearth of gamers in Sussex, I'd probably sign up for that!)
Keep the forums more or less as is. They are a superb resource for ideas and information. Come to think of it, maybe someone could work their way through the old threads on the forums, and format/archive them? With the permission of the original contributors of course.
Ranks were always fun, and I'd like to see them back (I think I was well on my way to lt commander when they disappeared!). Of course, paying customers are officers (up to Captain) and non-payers are enlisted... If the system allowed for it, you could even let the user select a service and rank system (allowing for the LOTR fans).
I don't know what the general opinion is, but maybe a section for fiction? Online gaming is practically there already, and it's another way of encouraging people to contribute. If you're worried about the quality of a writer, line it up in a forum, get general feedback
then post in the zine.
Oh, and don't lose the LOTR section. Spin it off in to a parallel system at most. Although I'm not invloved there seems to be quite a community evolving there.
I have no idea what avatars are, but I'm sure they're fun!
Jon
"There are worlds out there where the sky is burning, where the sea is asleep and the rivers dream; people made of smoke and cities made of song.
Somewhere there's danger, somewhere there's injustice, and somewhere else the tea is getting cold. Come on, Ace, we've got work to do."
THE DOCTOR, "Survival" (Doctor Who)
