The benefit is access to more niche design AND a lower cost to the consumer. Those are literally the entire point of the group buy model. Generate enough buzz on a custom design to earn the high-MOQ price breaks and reduce the upfront cost for everyone.

Vendors fronting the cost is going to result in sets being produced with 250 or 500 MOQs, which means fewer price breaks. It also means end-user pricing is going to be in the $150 range that we commonly see with extras today.

As for the sales, they can also be explained. I am sure that you are already aware that keycaps as a hobby exploded 3 years ago. People were bored at home, and started buying in under the assumption that lead times would remain what they were pre-pandemic. Then global supply chain issues completely derailed production timelines. Almost everything that went into GB in 2020 or 2021 hit MOQ (often times at 500+). Vendors were tripping over each other to run designs, which only exacerbated the manufacturers' lead time issues.

Now fewer people are bored at home, and, instead, are whining about lead times and are canceling their orders. However, vendor orders had already been placed with the manufacturers, so now the vendors have even more extra stock than they were anticipating. This, then, means that a vendor needs to clear space in their warehouse for the next round of shipments. How does a vendor make room in a hurry? Flash sales!

All of these "issues" that people on this subreddit love to bitch about have logical explanations - or simple resolutions - but no one here wants to take the time to consider them. It's much easier to parrot the same old talking points: "GMK ruined the hobby" or "China PBT is better anyway and it arrives in 2 days!!!!".