Events - What Rewards to Target (Inverted Rewards Concerns)

We are currently in the middle of a Partner Challenge. You collect steering wheels. If I land on a wheel with a 100 multiplier, I get 100 wheels. 

Early in the main event, I hit an electric company, which gives rewards in the current main event. Here is a screenshot: 

Notice that I got 650 steering wheels. 

Near the end of the tournament, the points / reward change. It could be that I would spend 800 points and only then get 300 steering wheels. They cost far more than the 1:1 dice/wheel ratio that you get when you land on a wheel. They cost significantly more than than they did when I was in the early stages of the tournament. 

Generally speaking, the further you go in the tournament, the more "inverted" the rewards. In other words, you get fewer rewards at higher cost as you advance into the tournament. 

So why do people go past the middle of an event or tournament? That is where the blue and purple packs are, and stickers are best of the currencies in monopoly. 

So, if I have the funds to go get those packs, I do. However, if I don't, I take the cheap goods and wares near then front of the tournament, and then go into a time out.