One of the more interesting trends I've been seeing since Fanatics went on their tear is that card companies, particularly Topps, are really pushing alternative motivators.
SGC announced their Bowman $9 special - they did this last year for Bowman Chrome and this year for Topps Series 1, but it slashes grading costs of 2023 Bowman to $9 for a period of time. Even as someone who doesn't grade, I've gotten a few cards pulled from breaks that I might send over to SGC at that rate. Sadly the best card I pulled had enough damage to tank a grade that so that will likely be a raw sell or just holding in case he catches fire if/when he gets called up, but there's a few interesting ones to give SGC a shot.
SGC Home (gosgc.com)
There has also been unofficial but offered by big name bounty programs - first for the full Golden Mirror set from Topps S1 and now for the Druw Jones superfactor auto from Bowman as a lottery style incentive. Both require either huge financial investment (I think the bounty winner for the Golden Mirrors opened up hundreds of jumbo cases to build it) or absurd luck but it's clear they're testing out some different methods on odds, promotions, etc. to see where it might move things.
Also this year's Bowman, weird player selection. The best auto I got is a 26 y/o getting his first Bowman card (he can mash interestingly enough, kinda surprised he hasn't gotten a try yet). Brandon Walter is in there for the Sox, also similarly aged. I know COVID kind of messed a lot of this up so there's a player backlog but I'm used to teenagers and international guys getting Bowman 1sts, not mid-20 somethings. I doubt it'll matter long term but it does take a little of the excitement out of it.