Vancouver women value intelligence, high salary the most in poll of what makes the ‘perfect man’ (w/ VIDEO)

Mandy Sull said her husband was the perfect man, when asked March 20, 2013 on Granville Street in Vancouver, B.C. Ward Perrin/PNG

LARISSA CAHUTE
VANCOUVER DESI

It seems that money can, in fact, buy love for some Vancouver women, according to survey results from an online dating site released Wednesday.

WhatsYourPrice.com —a dating auction website, where members bid for first dates — surveyed more than 1,000 local women to find out their definition of “the perfect man” based on personality, income, education, hair and eye colour, body type and vice.

According to the website, Vancouver was one of the only cities to value a man’s intelligence the most.

It also found that women defined their ideal man as earning between $100,000 and $150,000 a year and having a master’s degree.

But according to a much smaller-scale survey conducted by Vancouver Desi, money isn’t the key to happiness.

“First of all, that man is elusive to non-existent,” said local bookkeeper Alita Cerra, after greeting the findings of WhatsYourPrice.com with a laugh. “Sure, money helps things, but to say that that’s one of the most important things, I think that sort of makes the women in Vancouver look shallow.

“It’s kind of sad that people would put that much money as a top criteria when there’s so many other important things, like humour and kindess and compassion and just having fun.”

Jenn Torres, who works with a local investment company, said she knows of a few women who would look at a man’s wallet first.

“But for me? I think it’s ridiculous,” Torres said. “I do agree with the intelligence part, but when it comes to the salary part — I don’t find it as important.”

For accountant student Mandy Sull, putting that price on love is just “wrong.”

“I don’t think that salary should be a standard that you put on love,” Sull said. “You should get along with the person that you’re with.”

According to WhatsYourPrice.com, women also favoured brown hair and brown eyes, an athletic build and a social drinker who doesn’t smoke.

But none of these attributes came up in Vancouver Desi’s mini-survey. So what is it that makes the perfect man for these women?

“At the end of the day, what really matters is if you get along with the person and the guy’s personality,” said Torres.

Cerra just looks at the “most important things in life.”

“Someone with a sense of humour, adventure, someone caring, kind — spontaneous,” she said.

As for Sull? She’s already found her perfect man.

“My husband’s my perfect man,” she said matter-of-factly.

And when asked what she was drawn to: “His smile and his heart,” she said, her face lighting up.

lcahute@theprovince.com
twitter.com/larissacahute

Tags: characteristics, dating, intelligence, Vancouver