My feelings are that in any limited product offering that gives a certain person a distinct advantage over someone else, be it a membership fee or the ability to use an internet bot, will create an artificially inflated secondary market which will turn off the average collector who won't be able to obtain the product at a reasonable price.
Topps is doing well with their print to Demand sets unlike other venues like the U.S. Mint which has alienated coin collectors by creating artificial rarities and shutting many old time collectors out of their new products, instead giving them to 'flippers' who purchase items just for the goal to try to make a profit.