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Welcome to the Toyark! Let's see if I can help you with some of your questions....

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Originally Posted by jamesmruddy

I am relatively new to collecting, and have several questions.

What is the difference between a variant a chase variant and a running change?

I just add a few things to what scarecrow already said. A variant is a generic term which basically means a change made to a toy from the original (or initial release). Things like different paint apps or re-tooled parts. Chase and Running variants are specific types of a variant.

A chase variant is a particular version of a toys that is specifically shortpacked by the manufacturer itself for the collectors to "chase" after. A very good example is the Treasure Hunt cars in Hot Wheels cases. Chase figures are usually very hard to come by and tend to command high prices on the secondary market. This is different from a hard to find variant that is more popular but equally distributed in a case of figures. For example, the 6-inch IM War Machine is harder to find than the 6-inch Mark VI, but they come in equal amounts to a case. It's just that WM is the more popular of the two.

A Running variant (or running change) is just like what scarecrow said. It is usually done to correct errors in the mold that weren't discovered until after the finished product went to retail. The change could be safety-related, functional or simply aesthetic choice.

Repaint, redeco and remold are alternate terms for variant. Exclusives are a whole different post topic.

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Do the figures released to the stores, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, TRU and so on, differ from the ones that are in the Comic and Collectible Shops?

No, they're no different. The comic shops, et. al., order and receive the same cases from the toy companies as the retail stores. The same applies to e-tailers.

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What drives the prices up on these variants are on any of them? In my searches I have seen new figures going for double to triple of what they would in stores and they have not even been released yet.

Collector demand and perceived rarity/value, mostly. Some figures are popular, some are rare and some are both. Some exclusive variants are more expensive due to the exclusivity and whatever efforts were made to secure it (such as convention exclusives).

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How many copies of a particular figure is released? I would imagine a single figure would get a production of several thousand if not more if the are shipped world-wide.

Most companies will not publish production runs of mass-retail product. Limited runs are sometimes announced to provide additional worth and entice buyers.

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How does one get into the world of collecting? I see reports of upcoming figures way before they are released, I would so love to get in on that, I have plenty of time on my hands, being that I am out of work due to a disability, (Brain Tumor) and would love to have something to occupy my time.

Pick a subject that appeals to you such as a character from a comic, cartoon, TV show or movie and start looking online for collectibles based on that subject. Chances are, there's a website devoted to it and its fanbase.

And of course, you have your fellow members of the Toyark to help too.

Cheers!