I would have preferred a pre-order where you make the decks to suite the audience that wants them. If this is truthfully a deck box design you wished everyone could have you should have done it that way, the people who wanted it would wait for it to get made to order. You have the people pay up front so that way you don't have to mortgage the house and everyone who wants one of those unbelievable decks will get one. The value will still be good on the deck, but people who want them will actually get them, instead of the re-sellers with fast connections.
I would love one of the laser cut decks and am quite willing to pay the asking price, but I already know even at that asking price I have absolutely no chance in getting one. Yet at the same time I can name at least 3 Ebay sellers who will have them available hours after you sell out at 2 to 3 times that price.
The "problem" with my design is that it is simply impractical to make at larger scales. So, we had to make smaller numbers, and in that case I thought it best to set a number. Since they will, by definition become a rare thing, having it known to all precisely how many there are and letting everyone get them at the same time seemed best to me. Doing things 'made to order' can quickly become difficult when you are a one-man shop and have a thousand other orders.
As to the chances of getting one, you can never tell with these things but it will probably be tricky. However, I'm doing what I can to make sure it's fair. I'll release them into the store in a few batches at different times, and if those do sell out immediately I will have a drawing for the remainder. I'm also going to auction one off for charity. Finally, I am limiting how many you can buy to avoid a reseller swooping in, buying 10 and immediately eBaying them. That drives me nuts too.
Not perfect, I admit, but I hope that's better than what other folks have tried. At any rate, I do greatly appreciate the interest in my creations and hope people get what they want.