and if they are Limited Edition (LE) pieces, those only appear on ebay and will state in the auction, usually if they are OAE (Open Artist Edition) meaning the artist who paints them (not Melody-usually Jennifer/Nam or Olympia) decides how many to make based on demand and the price they fetch,
OR if the piece in the auction is a LE, it will usually say “This dragon is #1 of 15 we plan to make in this color” or something like that. It seems things that come in numbered batches come in either 15 or 24.
Of course, if you miss all the critters of a particular batch, there’s always the chance that someone who bought one will need money later and decide to sell their piece. I got one of the Flame Limited Edition OW’s, and I’m his third mommy! There have been some really amazing pieces for re-sale on the forum before