Every distributor does it a little differently. All try and tune it to what works best for them.
I keep an updated schedule of GEC production sequences that list the known variations coming down the pike. If you see something you like you can get on the
Early Reserve for it. Once they arrive you will have first chance at it before it goes into the
Early Bird section of my website. Many short runs never make it into the
Early Bird if there are enough
Early Reserver's to buy all the allotment. Is your head hurting yet? It is a little harder to do it this way, but it guarantees fairness in that it is all first come - first serve; no setting items aside for the favorite customer.
There are also a lot of items that are a surprise from the factory. Some runs, many distributors may get one or two; others only show up one place or two. Any short runs I am aware of generally get posted on my forum, whether I will have them or know where they will be available. The board that contains most of this information is
New Products Worth Mentioning
As far as short runs currently available, I generally leave that up to the collector to find. Kinda like an Easter Egg Hunt for adults. Many I will note them as a "Short Run", some I do not. Rarely do I put an actual production count on them, as the factory changes these until the yearly numbers are released.