 hoodedCoverCommander788 here, this is a video I've been thinking about making for a long time. In GI Joe Collecting we talk about variants and versions a lot. On Yojo.com you will see multiple versions of a character and you will see variants of a particular figure. On my own website, HCC788.com, you will find the same thing. Sometimes I disagree with Yojo about whether a figure is a variant or a version. I want to explain my thought process in determining if a figure is a variant or a different version. This shouldn't be considered the definitive answer to the question of whether a figure is a variant, this is just how I think of it which may or may not be useful to you. Take it for what it's worth. For those who wonder what the difference between a version and a variant is, I wanted to lay it out for you so you can know what toy collectors mean when they use those words. The difference between a version and a variant is not entirely clear. It would be convenient if we had definitions that always provided the correct answer, unfortunately there is some gray area between the two. When you're determining if a figure is a version or a variant, it means you have two action figures of the same character that are different in some way. These terms version and variant are collector terms, they're usually placed on a product after the fact. Sometimes they match up with the intent of the manufacturer, sometimes we are labeling something that the manufacturer didn't intend to have a separate label. Even when the manufacturer did intend a figure to be a new version of a character, they don't usually label it version 2 or version 3. Collectors do that. For instance, you have version 1 of Snake Eyes from 1982 and version 2 from 1985. The figures are entirely different, the packaging was different, they were manufactured at different times. Here it seems clear that the manufacturer wanted to produce a new version of the earlier figure. The 1985 Snake Eyes clearly fits in the version category, it is not a variant of the first version. Now take for example Steel Brigade, there are five variations of Steel Brigade, they are all different but we don't consider them different versions. Although the parts are changed out, the manufacturer appears to have been trying to issue the same figure with the parts that were available. They weren't advertised or packaged differently, they look similar, they are clearly in the variant category. Since there are so many variants, we label them with letter designations, version 1A, version 1B, version 1C and so on. Sometimes they are referred to as sub versions but they are really variants. But what about figures that are less clear? Look at these two lifeline figures, at first glance they look the same. When you look closer you see some differences, different parts were used. Even though the parts were switched around, the manufacturer seems to have been trying to issue the same figure as version 1, using the parts that were available. Just like Steel Brigade, Yojo.com calls these two figures different versions, not variants. Why would that be? Let's break it down and see if we can sort it out. I've seen a few definitions of variant from different sources and I don't find most of them very satisfying. Most to nail down hard and fast rules for each category still tend to leave some gray area. Transformers Wiki gave what I thought was a fair attempt at a definition. Their definition was honest about the gray area. They said, A variant is a product, usually a toy, in recent years also often a 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 others 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. The problem gets more complicated when you try to decide where factory errors fit in. Sometimes factory errors will slip by quality control so you'll get a figure with two left arms or the wrong figure packaged on a card. Are these variants? Most collectors don't think so, but if enough of them are produced, they may be considered variants. If the only difference between a factory error and a variant is the number of examples, then factory errors are variants, just not the kind collectors like to find. Here I will set out the rules I follow to decide if a figure is a version or a variant. To determine if a figure is a new version, the question to answer is, did the manufacturer intend to produce a new version of a character? The main premise is that all versions are intentional, whereas variants may be either intentional or unintentional. An intentional variation that is released during the same run as an earlier variation with no change to the packaging or marketing is referred to as a running change. An unintentional variation is a factory error that was released in sufficient numbers for collectors to consider it a variant rather than just a mistake. To make this determination, I apply a ranked factors test. Note that these factors can't be added up with mathematical precision to reach the correct answer every time. Some factors may have greater weight than others, so reasonable people may disagree on the outcome, but they do provide some guidance. To determine the manufacturer's intent, I look at these factors ranked in order of importance. 1. The packaging. This factor has the greatest weight. Does it advertise a new version? Is the packaging drastically different from the earlier release? If the packaging looks like a new version, it is. The manufacturer is declaring their intent, so there's no gray area here. Packaging may not conclude the matter, though. There is an exception for mail-away offers. Instead of the retail-carded packaging, it may have come in a sealed plastic bag. If there are no other differences in the figure, it is the same version and not a variant. Two similar but different figures that were released in identical packaging are more likely to be variants than different versions. 2. How different are the figures? If the two figures in question are nearly the same, they are more likely to be variants rather than different versions. Do they share all or most of the same parts? Do they look like the same figure at first glance? Are the paint applications mostly the same? Sharing the same parts does not necessarily mean they are variants. Like for instance, Flint and Tiger Force Flint. They share the same parts, but they were advertised in different packaging. The first factor at the packaging outweighs the similarities in the figures. Different color schemes may not mean different versions though. I'll address that later. 3. Was there a separation of time between the release of the figures? If one figure ceased to be manufactured before the next one started, it's more likely to be a new version. If there are intervening versions between the two, they are more likely to be separate versions. Malloway figures complicate things again. For instance, Grunt Version 1.5 was released in 1983. That same year, Grunt Version 2 was released as the pilot of the Falcon Glider. Then Version 1.5 was released again as a Malloway offer in 1986 and 1987. But the Malloway Grunt is not a new version, nor is it a variant. It's the same Version 1.5 because the first rule has a Malloway exception. And it's identical to the original release. The intervening Version 2 figure doesn't change that. Take note of this. There is a special category for 1982 G.I. Joe figures that were re-released in 1983 with Swivel Arm Battle Grip. All of the 1982 lineup was re-released the following year with new articulation. Based on my factors, they would be considered variants. But collectors refer to them as Versions 1.5. And they are the only G.I. Joe figures that are referred to with 0.5 versions because they are a special category. Let's apply these factors to some figures and see if they should be considered versions or variants. This is Copperhead. Let's apply the factors. Factor 1. They were released in the same packaging as the driver of the water moccasin. Factor 2. The only difference between them is the paint color on certain parts, particularly the gloves. Factor 3. They were released during the same run. There is no separation in time between their manufacturer. They are variants. This looks like an unintentional variant. It looks like the wrong paint color was loaded in the machine. So all the places where the light green paint was supposed to be used, the dark green was used instead. If this had only happened one or two times, it would be called a factory error. Duke and Tiger Force Duke. Factor 1. The packaging is different. Even though some of the original artwork was used, it was altered to reflect the new figure's colors. The Tiger Force branding was added. The file card now says Tiger Force First Sergeant. Factor 2. Tiger Force Duke reuses most of the parts from version 1. The colors are obviously different, but the overall look of the figure doesn't vary wildly from the original. Different parts were used probably because the original molds weren't available when this figure was manufactured. Factor 3. Version 1 was taken off the shelves in 1985, and Tiger Force Duke was released in 1988. There was a gap between the two, but there was no intervening version between them. They are different versions. Even before we consider the differences between the figures, the packaging made clear distinctions between these two figures. They wanted the later one to be regarded as the new Tiger Force version. Zerana. This is one of my favorite changes on an action figure. Applying the factors. Factor 1. The packaging is the same. No change was advertised. Factor 2. There is only one difference between the two, but it's a major difference. They have different heads. This would have required new sculpting and new tooling, so it was intentional. Other than that change, though, they are the same. At first glance, they appear to be the same figure. Factor 3. They were released in the same series, and there was no intervening figure between them. They are variants. Since the variation was intentional, and it was within the same series, it is a running change. Let's try one that's harder. Outback versions 3 and 4. Yojo.com considers them to be different versions. Let's apply the factors. Factor 1. The packaging for both versions is identical. Nothing was changed. There is nothing to tell the consumer that this is a new version. Even the numbering in the number series remains the same. Factor 2. The colors are significantly different. This could be a flag that these are different versions rather than variants. The color change also appears to be intentional. Despite this, there is no other change. The sculpt is the same. The accessories are the same. Factor 3. They were released within the same run. There is no intervening version between them. I consider them to be variants. Though they are significantly different in color, the first factor carries the most weight. It suggests an intention to release a variant rather than a new version. Since it is an intentional variant, released in the same series, it is a running change. Now let's get back to the variant I started with. Lifeline. A lot of collectors consider these to be separate versions of lifeline and I understand why. Yojo.com agrees with them. Applying my factors, it's still no slam dunk. Some people may still consider them to be separate versions. But I think they are variants. Factor 1. The packaging is not the same. The earlier lifeline was released as a carded figure. The later one was released as a mail away offer through Rice Krispies cereal. That's why it's called the Rice Krispies lifeline. The difference in marketing could push this toward being different versions. But I make an exception to this factor for mail away figures. As such, the difference in packaging is not conclusive. So we have to go to factor 2. Factor 2. Different parts are used, but the color scheme is all the same. There's a difference in accessories, but only in the sense that the Rice Krispies version comes with fewer accessories. But when you look at the two figures, it looks like they were trying to make the same figure. Despite the different parts, the difference between the figures is minimal. This is kind of like Steel Brigade, where they changed the parts around from time to time, but they were trying to make the figures look as alike as possible. The differences were minimized. Factor 3. There was a gap between these two figures. The first lifeline was released in 1986. The later one was released as a mail away in 1991. Normally, that wouldn't make much difference except for one thing. Tiger Force Lifeline was released in 1988 between these two figures, and it is clearly a new version. Despite the complications of factor 3, factor 2 carries the most weight, and it falls in the mail away exception of factor 1, so I consider it a variant. But some collectors may give greater weight to the minor differences between the two figures and decide factor 2 comes down on the side of version rather than variant. For me though, the similarities are more important than the differences. So is that clear as mud? If you are a collector, how do you determine what is a version and what is a variant? Do you just follow the consensus on collector websites? There's nothing wrong with that. After all, these are collector terms, so the important thing is that we all understand each other. Thanks for indulging me in this discussion. It's something I've been thinking about for a while, and I wanted to put my ideas out there. There's plenty of room for disagreement on this. I just wanted to explain my thought process in deciding what is a variant. In some of my old videos, I got it wrong. For example, I thought the target exclusive hit and run with parachute pack was a different version. But based on my factors, it's probably just a variant. But hey, I'm still learning just like everyone else. I hope this was helpful to you. Thanks everyone for watching. I'll be back with a full GI Joe toy review soon.