Variant or Not? 1982 to 1994. Need Help.

[TCA92]

[QUOTE=notpicard]I swear by year's end I will have the variation section fully updated with what pics are available (meaning just about all). I have been gathering them for years, but not putting them up, partially for the lack of interest when I did. But I have wanted to get it updated just for my own interest in variations and it is nice to see a thread where others are really digging in.


Eels. I have fins with different numbers stamped on them, variation?
Cavity numbers, right? I think those pretty much defeat the point and are a way this could just go too far. The figures have cavity numbers internally. I once ripped the arms of a broken Sneak Peek apart to demonstrate this. It even had numbers in the joint of the forearm. Do we really need to count every cavity as a different variation? And since they would mix the parts from various cavities, we would have to calculate all possible combination of parts, then tear into figures to find them. It is just going too far imo. So I tend to ignore the cavity numbers on accessories as well.


I hope that helps. It is nice to see everyone taking a renewed interest in variations. We have a lot to really narrow down and could use the help of some people who army build or collect MOC.
QUOTE]

You know those cavity numbers have been bothering me for years. I am very curious to understand what they mean.

It could mean that the parts were made in two different manufacturing plants?

It could be a code for a different engineer who made the mode?

I believe they were all made together, in the same plants. The numbers might have been there to determine what order or location to place the many modes for injection. Esp. for accessories. But, then again it does not explain the different numbers on individual figures parts, like their arms.

I look forward to when you do have a section on these variations. It would be a big help, or least a start.

Thanks

[notpicard]

A mold doesn't have just one of each piece. There are multiple pieces so that they can make the process a whole lot faster. Somewhere in this section, someone who worked in manufacturing also chimed in about this a few months ago.

They put a number in each cavity so that if there is a problem with a part, they can easily identify which cavity created it. That is all those numbers mean.

[CrazyCollector]

I AM SERIOUSLY GEEKING OUT!!! The responses have been sending me into a frenzy, I will take time off from work next week so I can dive into my collection for some research. I will try to post pics to better illustrate some of my questions.

notpicard...THANK YOU! I was being a little vague on a few of these so I could get some "honest" feedback on my questions. To answer a few of yours:

[COLOR=black]1984
[/COLOR][COLOR=black]I have seen so many slight differences in Rip Cord that I was hoping to get a good 20 of them in hand to try to figure this out. Almost any 2 I have look different, so what is the specific difference?[/COLOR]
[COLOR=black][/COLOR]My figures have light to dark colr changes in the hair as well as the rifle. My chutes have a 1 or 2 cavity stamp (mystery solved on those) and there is a hard rigif chute vs a soft chute. I can not say if a Intl' figure accessorie is in my collection or not.

[COLOR=black]Is this possibly a foreign Rattler? [/COLOR]
[COLOR=black]NO, "Pawtucket, RI" stamped on them all.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=black][/COLOR]
[COLOR=black]Tomax / Xamot. Is there a silver gun variation or is mine just painted well for a custom?[/COLOR][COLOR=black] What kind of silver? Is it a dark gunmental color? It could just be a modern accessory.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=black]Your guess is as god as mine. Vague information I got from a chat room many years ago,[/COLOR]
[COLOR=black][/COLOR]
[COLOR=black]Armadillo. Is there a light vs. dark variant? Or is one of these the mail away version?[/COLOR][COLOR=black]
Was there a mail-in Armadillo? I have not seen a variation on this figure.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=black]This was the tank not the figure I was asking about.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=black][/COLOR]
[COLOR=black]1987
[/i]Falcon. I have a MOC version and a loose sample. The color of the belt is different. Any other confirmations?[/i]
What is the difference?[/COLOR]
[COLOR=black]Most notablly my MOC figure has a green colored belt, my loose figure has a more grey color. The color difference is even al over the figures web gear front and back.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=black][/COLOR]
[COLOR=black]Sonic Fighter. How many and what type of variants exist for the sonic fighter packs?[/COLOR][COLOR=black]
I just finished my set earlier this year. There are 3 of each. [/COLOR]
[COLOR=black]WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCES?[/COLOR]

[just_joes_by_mike]

Just posted a couple of pics in my photobucket account of Duke v1's gun. Like Recondo there is a true distinct color variation. The top gun is a mint bright green one, the middle is the olive variation, and the bottom is the typical old faded type. Most green weapons fade and develop a chalky reddish film on them. The middle weapon has none of that and looks unused.

I am hit or miss on the variations regarding color. I'm not much of a hair color variation collector. I feel there is too much chance for a color change based on age, amount of paint applied, batch, etc. If a figure has a unique change like the v1 Charbroil orange vs black eyes, that is a variation I can collect. Camo variations I dig alot as long as they are very noticeable.

[CrazyCollector]

I have found that user "notpicard" is know on other sites as well. So I thank you for providing me some of your insight. I do have som additional follow up questions in regards to teh pics from keg_daddy;

Duke - How many and which versions were released in the US? Which were mail in vs. carded? I like to keep the collection as "authentic" as possible not mixing loose foreign figures as a "variant" into my US collection. The same goes for mail aways. If I have a mail away it will only be sealed in its bag.

Short Fuze, Airborne, Steeler and Snow job - color variations and thin vs. thick paint applications. Can these really be a variant or is this just a case of where they were in the factory and some got a "better" paint application than others?

Firefly - you note this as a "possible" yet here is the proof in the pictures. Is there 3 versions of his camo or not? I only have 2 in relation to the eyes.

Ace / Thunder - As like the others is the difference due ot a mail away version being issued or are these variants the result of store purchased product?

I just don't want to collect figures as loose samples if they were meant to be a mail away version that I should spend time looking for sealed in the baggie.

Bazooka - same question could the leg stamp differnece be explained by a mail away?

Flint, Footloose and Lady Jaye - similar concerns in the paint application. They are clearly a part of your collection. But should I spend time looking for these if it was a matter as to the paint application process causing the difference or is this a true variant?

Tomax & Xamot / Lampreys - These were all mail aways too right? Again just as before with some of these do they belong as a mail away or a retail variant?

[just_joes_by_mike]

[quote=CrazyCollector]
Firefly - you note this as a "possible" yet here is the proof in the pictures. Is there 3 versions of his camo or not? I only have 2 in relation to the eyes.

In my pics I have a very light camo paint app on a light eyed version. I have yet to see this in a dark eyed version, although the dark eyed ones are harder to find. I would go so far as to say they are not dark eyed vs. light eyed, but pale vs. dark skin versions. That is just my opinion, the skin color difference resonates more than the eye color as all have brown eyes just much darker in the dark skin (more reddish) version. Very similar to the Wreckage variation.

I just don't want to collect figures as loose samples if they were meant to be a mail away version that I should spend time looking for sealed in the baggie.

Most of the variations look to be related to mail-away vs. store release. On the topic of the eye brow thickness and slight hair color variations, I prefer the helmet or accessory variations to be more viable for my collecting desires.

[keg_daddy]

Duke - How many and which versions were released in the US? Which were mail in vs. carded? I like to keep the collection as "authentic" as possible not mixing loose foreign figures as a "variant" into my US collection. The same goes for mail aways. If I have a mail away it will only be sealed in its bag.There are many versions of Duke. Slight head sculpt differences and slight hair differences. The only Duke that I have in my pics that is foreign is the 'Made in China' one. The cuffed sleeves was primarily on Japanese cards, but the yojoe figure archive has a USA carded one.

Short Fuze, Airborne, Steeler and Snow job, Flint, Footloose and Lady Jaye I pretty much only collect 1983-1985 figures so most of these small differences I keep as a 'variant'. Is it really a variant? Most likely no, but remember, I have them because I only focus on those 3 years. I have also found 3 different hand colors for Duke. Also, Breaker has dark brown or light brown hair and Scarlett has maroon or orange hair. The 1982 Scarlett has bright red hair. Firefly has different colors of the face. I'm not going to bother collecting the different skin tones on Firefly. Storm Shadow has a peach face or a white face. Now are all these slight color differences variants? Probably not, but I keep basically every little difference in the 1983-1985 figures. I'm probably one of a few people that care about the slight color differences

Firefly - you note this as a "possible" yet here is the proof in the pictures. Is there 3 versions of his camo or not? I only have 2 in relation to the eyes.I looked thru my Fireflys after seeing a post of the light camo from just_joes_by_mike. After taking another look at my 'light camo', it is more than likely discoloring. Just_joes_by_mike's Firefly is much lighter than mine. After looking at the pics in his sig, it does very much look like 3 different shades of camo. Just_joes_by_mike can describe that one better.

Ace / Thunder - As like the others is the difference due ot a mail away version being issued or are these variants the result of store purchased product? 2 of them I believe came with the original plane. The third is a mailaway with the redback card. The original Thunder came with red hair. The redback mailaway figure came with maroon hair.

Bazooka - same question could the leg stamp difference be explained by a mail away?1985 is the original one and 1987 was released in later years. 1987 is also the one that came with the mailaway redback card.

Tomax & Xamot / Lampreys - These were all mail aways too right? Again just as before with some of these do they belong as a mail away or a retail variant?The red scar only came with the carded figure. The pink and 'orange' scar both came as mailaways. Or you can call them the short pink and long pink scar. One of the pink scars also came carded, I think it is the 'Made in Hong Kong' one. The original Lamprey came with turquoise gloves and head. The other 2 with blue gloves and head are from mailaway redback cards. One card is 'Made in China' and the other is 'Made in Hong Kong'

Remember that people will do swaps with parts of figures, so it will be confusing sometimes when people mix and match parts. It took me a little while with the Tomax and Xamot figures because I bought a couple from someone that said they opened them and only displayed them. Well, after I was confused, I figured out that that person wasn't telling the truth (the figures also had paint wear and new o-rings). The seller had switched parts on them so the colors weren't matching with the correct fig.


EDIT: I wouldn't recommend going after every little color difference. It will get very expensive and is tiresome. You should decide which figures you think are variants and go for those ones. I got lucky with a local seller that had almost the entire run of figures from 1982-1985 and he was asking very little for them. I combined those with the figures I already had or have received from ebay and noticed some color differences. If I were to do this again, I wouldn't go after every figure with a slight color or eyebrow difference.

[CrazyCollector]

See, I knew I would find value in this. Thank You "keg" and "just_mike" for the insight.

[just_joes_by_mike]

See, I knew I would find value in this. Thank You "keg" and "just_mike" for the insight.

Variants are what keep this hobby lively!! I'm not into 25th stuff, but the variant stuff makes the traffic increase big time. Those variants come and go, pricing goes up and down, but the vintage stuff makes finding them a fun part of the hobby. Really need to get them in your hands though, ebay pics can be deceiving, I bought so many Recondo's thinking that I was getting just the right color camo, when the waist was swapped and a different shade, very frustrating as keg_daddy explained searching for T&X.

This hobby allows for so many collecting options like keg_daddy collecting only 83-85 but finding slight variations within the line. I enjoy tracking down the firefly stuff but it is getting expensive with the few I need now.

Anyone have the Wreckage test-shot or v5 (black w/tan head), funskool loose complete, all white polar test-shot, pm me!!

[CrazyCollector]

A few months ago this thread got some really nice response and I was able to clarify and "fine tune" my collection. I have spent several months back in the basement and shopping around trying to gather more proof of variants.
I need more assistance from my Joe Brothers...
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