Why do companies make pony variants?

[KillerKingBakudan 702]

Why would anyone want to get something like this? I can understand the appeal behind different looks for ponies that were actually from the show, like a Crystal Rainbow Dash, or Rainbow Dash in her Wonderbolt uniform, but this? Since when did her coat become pitch black?

And while I'm at it, why make translucent ponies decked out in glitter?

 

 

Or glow-in-the-dark ponies?

 

 

 

None of these make any sense. If companies want to make the most of the MLP license, I really think they should just make one standard figure for each pony so they can maximize the selection of characters for people to buy. You can't do that by milking the same ones repeatedly. That's a waste of resources, and will more than likely turn people off since it's clear that not every pony will get a figure.

[Fhaolan 4,484]

This is standard collectible marketing. They're not targeting the standard 'I like MLP' people, they're targeting the hard-core collectors. Same thing they do with the various 'collector covers' for comics. It's the same comic inside but they have a variety of different covers only available for limited times, or through limited vendors. There's enough people who are obsessive collectors that they will buy anything.

 

Plus it's cheaper to do runs of existing figures using different materials than to sculpt new ones. New sculpts are expensive. Different plastics or colors are cheap.

[chaosprincess 1,067]

Its like when Hasbro gave the rights to other countries to make and sell the older generation ponies its a way to market their products and it also catches a child's/collectors eye they see it and will want it for the sparkles, or the fact that it glows, but to a collector its an item that will become rare someday or its to complete their collection, but overall its how business's work make more of the same thing and continue the cycle.