For anyone who doesn't wish to, or can't wait, I'd suggest checking local stores, which are receiving stock, despite Apple's website indicating otherwise, or having too much latency to accurately reflect inventory.
My local Costco, which had no stock of most Apple products a couple weeks ago, had the 11"/256GB SG in stock as of a couple days ago. But it wasn't what I was looking for so…
I booked a slot at the Apple store, thinking I'd paw the merchandise one last time and finalize my choice, go home, order online and wait…only to unexpectedly walk out with a new Pro, and a set of AirPods as part of the BTS deal.
While there, I pulled up the Buy page, and flipped through the options, which showed little, if anything available for pickup at the stores in the area. But the Specialist, whose magic terminal is the true and final arbiter, made some taps and said "most" of the models were in stock, except for a niche model like the 512GB LTE. They did also lack the base 11" 128GB in silver, which had a slim edge as my first choice, but space grey was available, and the color was no biggie, so I took the bait offer.
Now, I can spend that time looking for the accompaniments, and finding other ways to wear out the ⌘R keys.