Variant vs. Regular

A couple weeks ago, on podcast #56, Annemarie, MC and I took a list of all the Vinylmation variants to date and discussed which ones were better, the variant or the regular version. I contend that while many of the variants make sense, the regular version is the more desirable design most of the time. I understand the variants are added to create an extended level of collectiblity. They are a figure that is even more rare than the chaser. But shouldn't the variant also be desirable for the design as well? Here are the results.

My best count has us at 25 variants so far. The two most important questions posed as we went down the list where: 1. Does the variant make sense? and 2. Which one do you like better? By a wide margin (18 or 19 out of 25), we all agreed that most variants make sense based on the design and what the figure is. In all cases of it not making sense to one of us, the figure was and Urban design and for the most part just a color change for the sake of creating a variant.

Urban 7 Green Cyclops Variant

But the more important question is which one do you like better? Annemarie liked the regular version 14 times and the variant 7 times with 4 figures being a toss up. To date, there are only 2 variants she wants to add or keep in her collection... Alice Hedgehogs and Villains 2 Shere Kahn.

Alice Hedgehog Variant (aftimes.com)

MC liked a few more regulars than AM, 17 in all. Only 8 times he liked the variant more. In both AM's and MC's case, they liked the variant better less than a third of the time.

Ghost Obi-Wan was a unanimous favorite Variant

My personal results were more drastic. I liked the variant better only 4 times and the regular version 20 times. My only toss up is the Urban 8 Barricades. There are some good Urbans, but I think variants can be used extremely effectively on Disney characters... and for the most part they are... I'm just saying the variant is almost never the better version of the two. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I like that the version I like is easier to get. Out of the four I like better, I was lucky enough to pull one from a case, there are two I'm not actively seeking but that darn Shere Khan is still avoiding me.

Shere Khan Variant

What are your thoughts? Here's the list (in no particular order):
Wet Paint Donald
WDW Road Sign (2 variants)
Texting (2 variants)
Blue Thumb / Green Thumb
Mod (Nature Cycle)
Candy Apple / Sour Apple
Bubbles
Candy
Obi-Wan
Pinocchio
Pink Elephants (3 variants)
Shere Khan
Fantasia Donald
John Henry
Christmas Ornament
Jelly Beans
Mad Hatter
Hedgehog
Barricade
Rudos
Figment
Paint Splatter
Phone
Cyclops
Alien