Warning: This post is shamelessly calculated to provoke response. Peruse at your peril.
Like many of the fine folks here, I'm lately flustered, puzzled, conundrummed and em-poor-ened by the phenomenon of limited editions that sell out quickly. According to explanations I've read on the posts, it's because there's a psychological process going on with announcements of a limited number, where people are afraid (often rightly) of missing out, whereas in other circumstances (say, a less limited limited-number), people breathe easier and put that purchase off for a while (perhaps indefinitely).
In other words, it's good business. It's not that labels are in business to make sure everybody doesn't get what they want. They're just trying to sell product and not take a bath by having copies sitting on shelves. So they play a guessing game of math and the markets, trying to understand how they can be sure to sell as much of a given product as possible. If they actually believe they can sell 1200 or 1500 or 2000 units, they will make the extra investment. If they're not sure this will happen, they can't afford the risk.
This process has various incidental results that have been exhaustively discussed.
So the problem is: how to harness the market psychology of the limited-release frenzy to the guarantee that everyone can buy what they want?
I put it that way because we naturally tend to assume the two goals are mutually exclusive, and perhaps they're not.
So far I've come up with one idea. And BTW, maybe somebody has already suggested this. I'm not trying to steal your plan. I admit I don't read all that many threads.
I propose the Flexible Limited Edition Pre-Order. It works like this.
Through serendipity and assiduity, I'm a label who has acquired the limited rights and masters to my favorite soundtrack: THE WIDGET ENIGMA by Alberto Wolfgang Goldini, a movie seen by only seven people at a festival screening 31 years ago in Reykjavik before the filmmaker commited seppuku with an eggbeater.
For the purpose of this example, I'm making up a lead time I need to give my printer: two months. (I don't know if in reality it's six weeks or six months, so I'm just plucking a time.) So, I want to release it at the beginning of September, and therefore I must commit my order to the printer by July 1. And therefore, in the last week of June, I announce that this fabulous release will be available in a limited-edition of 1000, and that I'm taking pre-orders now for one week only (or one day only, or one hour only, or one year only, or whatever).
Everyone goes into a frenzy and places their pre-orders, especially waiting until the last minute. I announce that pre-orders are now closed and I am, by definition, sold out. Too bad for you who waited, and maybe you've learned a valuable lesson.
And what's this? I count 1147 pre-orders. So, I place my order to the printer for 1200 copies, or whatever. When they are shipped to me, they all say "limited edition of 1200" (or whatever) and I process the orders, and Bob's your uncle. I also announce "BTW, it turned out to be 1200 copies and we still have a few copies left but they're going fast, so you who hesitated better scramble."
The crucial difference is that the ironclad limitation is placed on the TIME for pre-orders rather than the NUMBER of pre-orders. I announce the pre-order a limited time before I make my commitment to the printer. This introduces the frenzy factor, but allows a margin of flexibility on exactly how limited will be the limited edition.
Is anyone left unhappy by this plan?
IT'LL NEVER WORK #1
Because you're deceiving people if you say 1000 and then it turns out to be 1200 or 1500.
Why this is Not A Problem: Actually, you're not deceiving anyone. You're announcing your intentions, and then you're responding to market demand like a good capitalist. This is the sort of deception customers will appreciate and we could use more of it.
Now if you said 1000 and it turned out to be 500. . . (You know, actually, that might learn 'em, those laggards who assumed there would be leftover copies!)
IT'LL NEVER WORK #2
Because you're maybe leaving quite a lot of time between the pre-order and the product in hand.
Why this is Not A Problem: So? Who cares if it's a year? This rather encourages pre-orders, because many of us know we don't have any money NOW, but we fancy we'll be good for it later. That's more of that there psychology. The crucial point is the limited time for the pre-order window.
IT'LL NEVER WORK #3
Because all kinds of things go wrong when you count your chickens: the printer delays, it's accidentally mono, the composer dies without signing anything, the whole shipment is cancelled, it's the worst disaster in the history of soundtrackery.
Why this is Not A Problem: These things already happen. Customers are models of patience and forebearance--as long as orders aren't processed (i.e. credit cards charged) until the day of shipping. Then nobody loses--except me, the poor label, but that would have happened even without the Flexibility of the Ltd. Edition.
IT'LL NEVER WORK #4
Because maybe you won't even get 1000 orders.
Why this is Not A Problem: Then aren't I glad I didn't commit to more?
Further Objection: Maybe the reason you won't get 1000 orders is that customers understand the plan and will assume you'll have a few left over and are planning to wait anyway.
Answer: Let's give the customers some credit. We're already saying they run around like chickens with their heads cut off when you announce 1000. Rather than play "chicken" with such a slim possibility of waiting for the off-chance of leftovers, it's more likely that they'll still scramble for the Flexible Limited Edition precisely BECAUSE they know it's flexibility is so preciously limited. They will hear that clock ticking . . .
More to the point: Even if everyone understands that I base the number of my Ltd. Edition on the number of pre-orders I receive, this can hardly limit my sales. I can't sell to people who won't buy, and the "I'm afraid I'll miss out" factor remains in place. Customers need only understand that 1000 is the ballpark I'm expecting and that there won't be any 3000 (unless their response is that overwhelming).
And just in case any calculating laggards ARE waiting to collect my leftovers, I announce clearly that the official price on the date of publication will be 5 or so dollars above my pre-order price. Harsh? This is business. Now let's see how many people wait.
IT'LL NEVER WORK #5
Because--I'm out of steam here, but I'm sure there are plenty of volunteers out there who can explain why it's a lousy idea, it's impractical, it's illegal, it's been tried and failed, there's so much I just don't understand, you can't lead a horse to water, you can only make so many trips to the well, you never cross the same river twice, and a stitch in time saves nine. Let it all be heard and threshed out.
Basically I'm just trying to figure out how "limited" can be exploited in a moderately flexible way that benefits the label as well as the consumer, and possibly makes it easier for the labels who don't have to play guessing games. Is this too much to ask?
I'm just saying! | 
