VMP has in the past done pop-up shop events. I don't know when was the last time they did one, but if they wanted to minimize any angst and drama, I think setting up a pop-up shop featuring whatever these rare titles are would've been the best bet if they didn't publicize it or tease it on the discord or elsewhere online about it. Like, just show up at some Denver festival or community event with a booth selling them, and some random lucky sonsabitches score some hot shit that day. If word on the pop-up shop got back to discord, VMP could just be like "the quantities were so limited we didn't have a way to offer them online or in advance without pissing off 90% of the userbase" and honestly they'd probably be right.
The only other path I'd have maybe gone is to make a non-VMP-branded discogs or eBay account and just sold them there. They still make their money on stuff taking up inventory space, and discord lives on in its blissful ignorance.