Do you have a good support system with your collecting?

[Cwk123]

Does your spouse, significant other, parents, etc. support your collecting addiction? Do they think you're crazy?
My husband goes along with it...he collects some, too. My family doesn't understand collecting, as they don't collect anything.

[SaphTalon]

My friends don't understand but my family does. Thats why I am on here. I make friends on the net. May I say though that it cant be the only source of a social life. Don't take me the wrong way. Meeting people online is great and even makes every negative comment mean less. I don't care about what people think anymore.

Your not the only one who enjoys ponies me and everyone on here does.

So let me say face the day with joy and ignore the losers who don't have ponies. Make friends in many interest because you and everyone else on here are special.

[Varkolak]

everyone would prefer that i didn't collect. mom and grandma buy me ponies, and my boyfriend has too. but they all aren't very happy that i collect. and my friends think its just lame. they make fun of me for it and think i'm crazy.

[Koudoawaia]

Those closest to me like my husband, immediate family, mother in law, and some good friends understand my pony collecting. Pretty much everybody in my life accepts my love of The Lion King though and I'm much freer about telling people about 'my big Lion King collection'.

[ashes]

My mom is a big supporter every since I got serious about collecting back in the early 90s (when I was in junior high).  To this day we still go to the flea market together and she helps me spot ponies.  My husband is supportive, but since we've got four daughters (and my collection is already pretty big), I don't make as many purchases as I did back in the day.

[TheFuzz]

My roommate has more ponies than I do. She collects mostly G1, but comes with me on my shopping trips. My dad doesn't know I like ponies, but buys me Pokemon cards and Transformers sometimes (bestdad!). I had an old friend over yesterday and he told me he's jealous of my toy collection. I've yet to come across somebody that has a problem with it, save for the odd looks I get from cashiers when I tell them the toys are for myself.

[xkelpiex]

My siblings are terrible to me about it, really. Well, my one sister is okay with it and even likes to see when I get a new doll or pony, but my other sister and my brother degrade me for it. It really hurts that they would think less of me just because I collect toys, but they really do. They can't understand why someone would want to collect toys at the age of 23, and I can't understand their complete lack of of an inner child.

[hlbmlp]

most people think it is odd at first until they get to know me!  I am an artist and make toys (plushies, bjd, etc) and restore/ customize old toys, and i also write and illustrate books and manga/comics.  I just never grew up!  My boyfriend is addicted to yo-yos and rubix cubes so im in good company! 
Then again i AM the art major on campus that wears animal eared hats almost all year round.. ^___^ 

[Gingerbread]

My OH is totally 100% supportive, he comes to bootsales and charity shops and helps me find ponies I live quite a ways from my family so I don't see them that often, but my Mum is super-supportive, my brother thinks I'm a little strange but goes with it, my Dad...I guess he thinks I'm bonkers but 1) he knew that anyway and 2) he's happy if I'm happy. I've got one of my friends into collecting, although I don't see her so much anymore, and my other friends thinks it's barmy and totally me

[coinoperatedgirl]

My husband carries a small list in his wallet of which g4 ponies I'm looking for.  Both he and my mom will buy assorted ponies for gifts for me; last year when I started collecting my mom bought two random g4 ponies and put them on my birthday cake.  Both of them put up with the assorted ponies all over the house.

[CadePony]

My parents and grandma don't support my collecting hobbies; they think I'm wasting my money buying kids' toys. My brother is somewhat supportive when it comes to my Transformers collecting, he'll get me Transformers for Christmas.

The only one who really supports my hobbies is my online best friend.

[Nesferxty]

When I lived at home my parents were fine with it, as long as they stayed in my room     I had a job so I would pay for them all myself, they never bought anything for me unless it was a special occasion.
 
Now I live in my own place with my husband and have even taken over the spare room as my collection room so yeah, he's fine with it xD He collects Lego so its great at christmas when we get each other lots of toys....you'd never realise we didn't have kids haha!

[little.fox]

My mum and sis are great, sis scoured the county for McDonalds ponies so I wouldn't miss any, she understands since she's a fanatic Mickey Mouse collector. Mom will help any way she can, looks out for ponies at car booties and such. Dad and brother prob think I'm mad. My OH is somewhat supportive, he does buy me BBs and would get me others if he knew what to look for.

So in short I have something of a support system, but it's not as wide as I would like..

[PonySeeker128]

My husband is supportave of it and tries to be interested or at least act interested. He collects coins so I sort of have to do the same lol. He let's me buy them and thinks me getting into customs is cool but I think he gets annoyed here or there because ponies are becoming a total obsession. My mom and stepdad think the collecting is cool and bring me to thrift stores to help me find them, they think its pretty cool.

[ponybabe]

Unfortunately no one in my family understands or supports it   My mom thinks it's childish and a waste of money and my mother-in-law and father-in-law also feel I'm wasting my money on what they see as "plastic ponies for children" My husband isn't too thrilled either, especially since I'm very actively collecting Disney dolls too but he bears with it and will buy me a pony or doll I really want occasionally
So no really big support system other than my fellow collectors here on the Arena