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| A '''variant''' is a product, usually a toy (in recent years, also a often comic), that is available in more than one version, but is technically considered the "same" product from a manufacturing standpoint. Each version differs from the other(s) in one or more ways. The exact definition of a variant is not cut-and-dry and varies from person to person. Though a variant is generally different from a [[redeco]] or re-release, even that line is blurry in some cases.
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| The distinction between an error and a variant is equally unclear: A variant is something that someone might want; an error is something people usually don't want. However, if the error becomes widespread, some people might start considering it a genuine variant. Generally, a variant does require some quantity of each version: Isolated one-of-a-kind freak incidents are not variants.
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| There are several possible causes for variants: In some instances, the manufacturer creates variants on purpose with the intention to sell more product to completists; in other cases, a variation is the result of an effort to improve the product by altering it in some way in the middle of its production run, with some quantities of the unaltered version having been produced (and possibly already distributed) before the alteration was implemented. This is also referred to as a "'''running change'''". In some drastic cases, errors have been found during [[quality control]] which then have to be corrected. Sometimes these changes aren't even a conscious decision, but the by-product of subtle changes in the manufacturing process, minor differences in the materials used for different batches of the production run, etc. In the case of toys, variants aren't just limited to the toys themselves, but can also occur with their packaging or the paperwork included.
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| Many collectors enjoy finding variants. It can be fun to discover some difference in two supposedly-identical toys, and some differences are quite major. Some collectors make a hobby of collecting all variants of a particular toy, which can lead to impecunious insanity if this toy is one like [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys|Generation 1 Ultra Magnus]].
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| ==Collector-incentive variants==
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| Companies want to sell their products. Sometimes they try to sell multiples of the same product to the same buyer. One way to achieve this is by offering variants:
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| *While '''variant covers''' have been a common staple in the comic book industry since he early 1990s, usually reserved for the first issue of a new series or special occasions (issue numbers like 500, 333 etc., major story-based events), both the late [[Dreamwave Productions]] and current ''Transformers'' comic publisher [[IDW Publishing]] took the concept to the max, with nearly ''every single'' ''Transformers'' comic published to date having been released with more than one cover.
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| *[[TakaraTomy|Takara]] has offered quite a few simultaneously released variants of ''Transformers'' toys, usually marketed as such. Sometimes they are just color swaps using the same [[paint operation|paint mask]]s and [[tampograph]]s, while occasionaly, they are outright simultaneously released [[redeco]]s:
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| **''[[Alternators|Binaltech]]'' [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen#Alternators]] and his retool "Smokescreen GT" were both available in two slightly different decos, with two different driver-specific sets of decals each, based on the real-life rally cars the toys were based on. Similarily, ''Binaltech'' [[Jazz (G1)/toys#Alternators|Meister]] was available in both white and red versions, and [[Prowl (G1)/toys#Alternators|Prowl]] was even available with [[mold]] differences, as a black and white police car including a ligthbar and as a blue civilian vehicle with a different rear spoiler. [[Tracks (G1)#Alternators|Tracks]] was also available in yellow and blue versions, bu the blue versions was released months later and shipped al by itself, unlike the other 'Binaltech'' variants which shipped in mixed [[case]]s.
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| **Similarily, ''[[Cybertron (toyline)|Galaxy Force]]'' [[Scrapmetal (race)|Ramble]] was simultaneously available in red, blue and yellow versions.
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| **Also, let's not forget the [[chase figure]]s from various [[blindpacking|blind-packed]] assortments like ''[[Micromaster Collection]]'' or the [[JUSCO]] [[exclusive]] [[Spy Changer]]s.
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| ==Running changes==
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| ==Errors==
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| ==Examples==
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| ===Comic books===
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| *Almost every ''Transformers'' comic published by [[IDW Publishing]], and some by [[Dreamwave]], has variant covers in an attempt to sell more comics.
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| ===Toys===
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| *A single sample of a toy contains an entirely different toy (or at least an entirely different deco of the toy) than depicted on the packaging. This was most likely done by somebody who didn't want to pay for the toy and thus returned the packaging to the store with another toy inside. This is a [[Toy swapping|toy swap]], and no more a "variant" than a fan-made custom. A genuine ''variant'' requires something to occur at the factory stage.
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| *A single sample of [[Red Alert (Armada)|Cybertron Red Alert]] is assembled without a head. This is an error, not a variant; it is an isolated incident.
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| *Early shipments of ''[[Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys|Deluxe Class Optimus Prime]] (a redeco of the ''[[Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' Super-Con Optimus Prime toy) had incorrectly assembled and less-poseable arms, just like the ''[[Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys|Ultra Magnus]] release of the mold before it. In Prime's case, some people consider the incorrectly assembled version an "error" because it was done unintentionally; others, however, consider it a "variant", because it has been released in considerable quantities, and the later, corrected version was an intentional change. The line between "error" and "variant" is blurred in this case and up to every individual fan to decide.
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| *[[Movie (toyline)|Movie]] [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys|Deluxe Class Classic Camaro Bumblebee]] saw two changes to his mold during its production run: The initial version had even tabs on its [[Automorph Technology|Automorph]] gimmick; the first modification saw that changed to an uneven tab, which frequently caused the gimmick to break, which in turn resulted in the toy refusing to stay in its [[Alternate mode|vehicle mode]]; and the second modificiation, which was only available with the UK [[exclusive]] "Towed to Safety" two-pack with [[Longarm (Movie)|Longarm]] and with the more widely available "Evolution of a Hero" two-pack with Concept Camaro Bumblebee, saw the addition of another small tab which fixed the gimmick's fragility.<ref name="moviebbtab">[http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=38149 Comparison photos for all three tab variants of Movie Bumblebee's Automorph gimmick.]</ref> All three versions are, by definition, "variants", since they were intentional changes on behalf of the factory; but since the intermediate version worsened the toy, not all fans interested in collecting variants would want it.
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| *[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Generation 1 Optimus Prime]] had [[retool|retooled]] fist [[Peg|holes]] so that he could better hold his [[Weapon|gun]]. This is an intentional change which improves the toy; it is a variant.
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| *Some [[Scramble City]]-style [[Combiner|combiners]] were produced both with and without [[rubsign]] indents. Neither version is harmed by this intentional change; it is a variant. Likewise, many of the combiner components were alternatively available with metal parts or in all-plastic versions. These are also variants.
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| *''[[Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' [[Breakaway (ROTF)|Breakaway]], [[Sideways (ROTF)|Sideways]] and [[Scattorshot (ROTF)|Scattorshot]] are all found in normal colors and slightly darker variants. It's not known when the change happened, but the darker variants are less common.
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| ===Packaging and paperwork===
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| *Considerable quantities of the [[Grimlock (Dinobots)|Grimlock]]/[[Terranotron (Dinobots)|Terranotron]] two-pack from the Wal*Mart exclusive ''[[Dinobots (toyline)|Dinobots]]'' mini-line featured the name "Swoop" instead of "Terranotron" on the character card. Similarly, early versions of [[Red Alert (Armada)|Cybertron Defense Red Alert]] were also available with the "Cybertron Defense" prefix missing on the packaging. These are name variants.
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| *Lines that run longer than a year often see the introducton of a [[subline imprint]] such as the ''[[The Unicron Battles|Unicron Battles]]'' for ''[[Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'', the ''[[Powerlinx Battles]]'' for ''[[Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'', ''[[Primus Unleashed]]'' for ''[[Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' or ''[[AllSpark Power]]'' for the [[Movie (toyline)|Movie line]]. This often coincides with a slight change of the packaging design. Sometimes, toys originally released before the packaging design change will also be available in the new design. This is a packaging variant. Similarly, the ''[[Alternators]]'' toyline was rebooted as a "new" assortment halfway through its run, coinciding with a (second) change of the packaging design. Some toys from the first assortment were made available again in the second assortment, which also resulted in packaging variants for those toys. Furthermore, sometimes toys originally released as part of one line will later be released again in new packaging as part of another line (such as ''[[Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]''), without any [[redeco]] whatsoever. And lastly, thanks to international releases, there are also [[Multilingual packaging|language variants]] for packaging.
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| *Less certain are errors on the packaging: For example, considerable quantities of the ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' [[Jumpstarter]]s were available with each other's [[Package art|character artwork]] depicted in the [[Tech Spec]]/[[bio]] strips. Many fans consider these errors genuine variants.
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| ==Footnotes==
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| <references />
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| ==External links==
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| * [http://www.reocities.com/futuristgroup/vquanda.html Fred's Complete American Variants Page]- Very thorough online variant resource.
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| {{stub}}
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| [[Category:Toys]]
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| [[Category:Fandom]]
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