As a kid, I always saw these kind of commercials as "moddest" and "quaint", as opposed to other bombastic in-your-face commercials with absurdist humor, who just want to offer you a decent product through "honest" means and in a lighthearted tone. The "limited" feeling just made it feel more "honest" and "moddest", y'know?
Conveniently a couple of years ago, when I was working at GoodWill, I'd happened to come across a mint condition BIG TOP CUPCAKE. Of course, I bought it, and I've made at least 3 different cakes out of that for my cousin, sister, and brother's birthday.