Has the rule of five posts before access to the sales section been rescinded?
I know why you're asking and the answer is no, the rule is still in place.
There are circumstances where someone showing less than five posts can gain access to sales --- if a newbie makes 5 approved posts but a thread containing two posts is deleted his post count shown drops to 3 but he would still have access to sales as he's made 5 approved posts.
All the best Mick