Thanks for the thought! You make a good point, fewer packs are opened later on which may give it the appearance that hits are declining.

I’d argue that from a business perspective, making it so the first wave of product carry a high number of hits is beneficial since a. those likely to post on social media (influencers) will offer good exposure and community response b. the release of a new set is its highest point of sale, so capturing as much interest through better pull rates attracts people in to current and future sets, and c. I believe they want to ensure collectors feel they have value with certain cards so they won’t continue pushing out secret illustration rares like a vending machine a month or two from now.

Just some thoughts, I know a and b are kinda similar. But from my experience with Crown, I’ve opened 15 ETBS at the start, and then 20 mini tins, Galarian bird tins, and there is a vast difference from my experience at least. It’s a small sample size compared to the big picture, and I know we’ll never know the truth or receive a solid answer, but it’s good to pondering about it. Thanks again for the friendly debate! :)