Hiding the fact that you're a brony in public.

[CastletonSnob]

Have you ever tried to hide the fact that you’re a brony in public? some other site calls this, "Hiding your powerlevel".

A couple of weeks ago, I was at Gamestop and I saw MLP plushies on clearance. I was really tempted to ask the guy behind the counter how much they were, but I didn’t want people to know I was into MLP.

What has your experience been?

[Sunset]

Well, I don't consider myself a Brony, but as an adult collector I do tend to play it close to the chest.  I've started sharing at work in the past few years but I don't generally share with random people.  I've even taken a couple of coworkers to task for pointing me out to a patron (in one case) or introducing me to a new coworker (in the second case) as "She collects My Little Pony."  Ponies are something I love but I don't want it to be my defining feature or the first impression.

In terms of shopping, I know I have it easier than the average Brony.  I'm female and the right age to be purchasing for a child so I don't generally get odd looks.

[kamakazee82]

......... what age is the "right age to be buying for a child"? ANYONE of ANY AGE buys gifts for others of many ages ... the LAST thing that cashier cares about is "Oh my gosh this person is buying something for themselves that some jerkwad might think is funny" they are thinking "Get this person out of my line with as many add-ons as I can get them to buy so I don't get fired and my boss doesn't scream at me, and I wish this day was going faster so I didn't have to be dealing with the public." If it really bothers you, ask for a gift receipt, then BOOM! it's a gift.

life is short, buy what you want if you can, broadcast your love or keep it bottled up inside, share your collections with people, or keep them secreted away ... just do it for YOU! People are so conceited and self-centered they rarely see past their own shadows.

life. is. short. be you. love what you love. don't give yourself the opportunity to regret something just because "that one person i will probably never see again might possibly think this purchase is for me." who knows, they person you afraid of might be a fan too.

[LadyMoondancer]

I know EXACTLY what you mean, Sunset.  I don't hide the fact that I collect--I have some of the G3 art ponies at work--but I have a coworker who says "How's the pony selling business?" EVERY time I run into her in the elevators or restroom, and it's super annoying.  (I mentioned once that I had a few MLPs on eBay, which was not usual for me, I just happened to be selling a few at the time.)  In front of other people, too--like I almost feel she is making a point of it?

When I'm buying MLP items, if the clerk asks who it's for then sometimes I'll say "for me" and sometimes I'll say "for my niece."  Yep--I tell a little white lie.  And I don't feel bad about it at all.  Because it's none of their business, it doesn't hurt them in any way, and it means I don't have to talk about collecting when I'm not in the mood to. 

So if you are feeling self-conscious, just invent a child that you are "buying for", lol.

[Mewtwofan1]

I have no shame in being out there. We don't have a uniform at school, and a few of my shirts are my little pony shirts. If kids can wear their fallout boy, pink Floyd and sports shirts, I can wear and flaunt my pony wear. I agree. Life is short. If you want to hide what your into, that's fine. But I'm going to walk in wearing my berry punch shirt like I own the damn place! Because I'm fabulous!

[Shy Violet]

I don't consider myself a brony either, definitely an adult collector though. I think I do the same as someone above mentioned, it depends on if I feel like being asked about it or not. If I'm not in the mood to talk about collecting I'll use my daughter as my excuse for buying toys. If she's with me she plays along too, lol. And then there's other times that I'm checking out and they ask if I need a gift receipt and I'll proudly say, "Nope! These are for me!". I think it's so common nowadays to have adult collectors for so many different toys that no one batts an eye. I will admit though that I got called out last month at a garage sale. They were starting to pack up and I pulled up, got out and asked if they had any ponies. She showed me what she had, pinkie pie's train, I told her that my daughter already has that but thank you. Then she said "are you sure it's for your daughter and not you? You have a MLP key chain."    busted!

[Blue Haired Ken Doll]

Dont really refer to myself as a brony, cause I pretty much only collect g1-3 but if im buying pony stuff im open, half the time I have ponies on my clothes anyway so they probs already know 

[Koudoawaia]

I'm not a brony but I am a big pony fan and don't bat an eye about wearing my pony shirts in public.

[Kittywhiskers]

I haven't considered myself a brony in a long time, not that it's the actual point here.

When I am buying ponies in store, I have no shame. The only thing I was ever embarrassed to be buying was a Barbie movie. It's bad enough that I have to keep my gender a secret when I leave the house (I'm trans and don't pass at all, so as frustrating as it is my main option is pretending to be a woman regardless of my actual identity) - I'm not lying about anything else about myself. Buying ponies isn't a big deal, especially when the people around you don't know you're a dude. Plus when I'm out shopping, I'm usually with another member of my family and the main thing we're trying to do that day is buy food and various other important things for everyone in the house. For all the people around us know, the ponies and such could be for a kid.

[Cswift]

I wouldn't call myself a brony, but my take on being a "fan" in public is that I'll do whatever I want so long as it doesn't disturb anyone else, and I'll trust others to do the same.

I wear Five Nights at Freddy's shirts sometimes, for instance. I've worried a couple of times that people will harass me because the fandom has a fairly poor reputation online before shrugging it off and putting the shirt on anyways. Nothing bad has happened to date. I think the vast majority of people know it's none of their business and act accordingly.

I also don't go out of my way to talk about my interests in public unless I'm asked first. I'm a pretty private person -- I have my friends, and with everyone else, I'm polite but not particularly eager to share about myself. Again, this seems to work for me pretty well.

Of course, I am a young, petite woman. I imagine my experience would probably be different if I was a man, or even if I was physically larger; people tend to be more indulgent with those they don't perceive as a threat in any way, which is both useful and annoying, lol.

[Shaiyeh]

I'm also in the not a brony camp, but definitely an adult collector (g1-g3), and I... literally leapt spectacularly through a 2nd hand shop just yesterday and grabbed a pony. And bought her. xD I alsosometimes wear pins or stuff on bags, and I have a few primark and h&m pony clothing items. other than that, it's not really too obvious until you enter my house xD I have all my army ponies displayed in the middle of my living room and in case someone is visiting that doesn't know I collect I just go 'oh, yeah, that's 1/3rd of my MLP collection. I collect ponies'.

[sd_dreamcrystal]

I'm not a brony/pegasister but I don't hide the fact I buy MLP, even when I'm in Gamestop. If I need to I just put the thought in my head "They'll think I'm buying it for a child" and that was what the cashier thought when I was buying a few horse toys and some beads over at Dollar Tree, at least judging by the fact of what they said when I was checking out

Also what Sunset said about having it easier than an average brony, being female and the right age for having at least 1 kid.

[bright rabbit 1]

I'm a brony but I don't say it out loud.

If I buy ponies people don't ask me questions because I look younger than I look. (I'm 28)

My folks tell me to grow up but I put on I don't want to Grow Up they just leave me alone.

Mum was shocked that I showed her the Brony documentary on Netfix showing that they are people older than me watching and collecting MLP.

[Sunset]

......... what age is the "right age to be buying for a child"? ANYONE of ANY AGE buys gifts for others of many ages ... the LAST thing that cashier cares about is "Oh my gosh this person is buying something for themselves that some jerkwad might think is funny" they are thinking "Get this person out of my line with as many add-ons as I can get them to buy so I don't get fired and my boss doesn't scream at me, and I wish this day was going faster so I didn't have to be dealing with the public." If it really bothers you, ask for a gift receipt, then BOOM! it's a gift.

life is short, buy what you want if you can, broadcast your love or keep it bottled up inside, share your collections with people, or keep them secreted away ... just do it for YOU! People are so conceited and self-centered they rarely see past their own shadows.

life. is. short. be you. love what you love. don't give yourself the opportunity to regret something just because "that one person i will probably never see again might possibly think this purchase is for me." who knows, they person you afraid of might be a fan too.

I didn't mean that anyone can't be buying presents.  But me personally, I was a lot more self conscious when buying ponies when in my teens and early twenties.  Now I definitly look like I'm old enough to have a couple kids and I rarely get the question "who are these for" at the checkout counter.


.

I know EXACTLY what you mean, Sunset.  I don't hide the fact that I collect--I have some of the G3 art ponies at work--but I have a coworker who says "How's the pony selling business?" EVERY time I run into her in the elevators or restroom, and it's super annoying.  (I mentioned once that I had a few MLPs on eBay, which was not usual for me, I just happened to be selling a few at the time.)  In front of other people, too--like I almost feel she is making a point of it?

When I'm buying MLP items, if the clerk asks who it's for then sometimes I'll say "for me" and sometimes I'll say "for my niece."  Yep--I tell a little white lie.  And I don't feel bad about it at all.  Because it's none of their business, it doesn't hurt them in any way, and it means I don't have to talk about collecting when I'm not in the mood to. 

So if you are feeling self-conscious, just invent a child that you are "buying for", lol.

I've totally used my nieces as excuses before

[Strawberry Swirl]

I've not been shy about liking or purchasing ponies for a long time. I really just cannot make myself care if somebody else has a problem with it. It's like, c'mon they're just cute plastic horses! Lighten up!

Although luckily for me I have yet to run into someone who has told me they don't like it. I suppose that's what happens when you look like a preteen. ;)