The MLP Arena

Pony Talk => Pony Corral => Topic started by: starrypawz on September 05, 2015, 02:27:33 PM

Title: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: starrypawz on September 05, 2015, 02:27:33 PM
So I had an interesting moment today.

I was reading an article that was about 'Force Friday' and in the discussion about it there was a discussion about toy collecting, namely like a 'do you have to try and grab this stuff first?' type thing.

I contributed because well I felt it was relevant. I basically stated that I'm a pretty casual collector (moreso lately because of not having the money to get anything) and happened to mention that I collect ponies and monster high, since well we're talking about toys right? It's a useful frame of reference. (even though it's a moot point I'd even said 'I was collecting before FiM' as a frame of reference thing)

Then I get a comment later on from someone being like 'Are you an 8 year old girl?' (with a 'right, right?') tacked on the end. I did feel maybe the person was trying to troll, but I ended up responding like 'Nope I'm an adult who just happens to collect those' and then I get another response to them like 'Oh so a adult woman who collects them for nostalgia reasons?' (with the same right, right) tacked on the end.
(also 'adult woman' sounded a bit patronising or a bit weird)

It seemed weird, like I said I think they may have been trolling a bit but at the same time. Why are you so concerned about this statement? Why is it such a big deal/so hard to comprehend. Like you just made me 'reassure' you about my hobby.

I like ponies, I like MH, I like to buy them occasionally. I think they're neat. Isn't that enough?
Also I mean this was on a 'geeky' space so you'd think people there would understand why I'd want to collect them as like it's no different than collecting any other line of toys. Star Wars stuff is also something I would collect if I had the funds (as you can guess from the avatar, star wars is one of my 'things')

But it's almost as if I admitted to 'geeking' wrong because I happened to say I like plastic ponies and a particular line of dolls.

I don't understand. (Or maybe I kind of do)

(also I don't think this is a 'because of FiM' thing since I think MLP has always sort of been misunderstood/mocked in terms of a thing to collect as I remember seeing this stuff before)
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: DazzleKitty on September 05, 2015, 02:35:43 PM
People like that are incredibly shallow, in my opinion. And definitely not someone to worry about. Sadly, there are a lot of stupid people out there who have these kinds of reactions. I've had the same thing happen to me. Don't let it bother you. Collect, and live your life the way you want to. You don't have to justify what makes you happy. If someone else is worried about what you do, it's on them.
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: achab1984 on September 05, 2015, 02:50:03 PM
Some people just are not open to anything. They think that you have to go with the crowd and that is the only way. I also have had many people make comments to me about collecting them. I even had a little girl ask me over and over why do I collect them. She thought that it was weird that I collect them. Don't let it get to you!
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: ponycake on September 05, 2015, 02:52:34 PM
There are some pretty garbage judgmental people out there. It's why I keep it under wraps though, because I don't want to be made to question myself or feel it's wrong (except to my friends and I'm friends with more intelligent laid back people). People collect all sorts of things. Rocks, coins, whatever. And toys somehow is weird? Hmmm. No.

I had a kindergarten teacher tell me it was stupid and act awful about it when she came across my Instagram. What a good person to teach kids. :)
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: zombienixon on September 05, 2015, 03:35:25 PM
A place with people who like to collect Star Wars toys should be one of the last places you'd have to justify collecting ponies. They're all children's playthings, regardless of the fact that one has spaceships and laser guns and another has unicorns and princesses. 

You'd think that with all of the cute cat video compilations that get over 10 million views, more people would understand liking something for being cute.

It kind of reminds me of this one time where there was an image on some kind of board or page for Power Rangers that showed a Pony Megazord and people freaked out. Then someone said, "You realize you're criticizing someone for watching My Little Pony when you're an adult watching Power Rangers?"
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: Leave a Whisper on September 05, 2015, 03:54:43 PM
Why do you have to justify your collections to anyone? Its your life and if it bugs other people that you wanna spend a little extra cash on something that makes you happy then that's their problem for being immature, miserable, little creeps and not yours.
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: Taffeta on September 05, 2015, 04:27:13 PM

Then I get a comment later on from someone being like 'Are you an 8 year old girl?' (with a 'right, right?') tacked on the end.

I would have said, "No, I'm not, thank you. Are you?"

These kinds of people remind me of nusiance phone callers. Their comments add nothing to a discussion, but they think they're important enough to disturb your time thinking about their question anyway.

I've collected MLP for most of my life, in one way or another, and it's gone through various phases.

#1 Kids toy. Boys in the playground "my little pony, skinny and bony". Headteacher banning them because boys kept throwing them on the roof (absolutely no blame with the girls of course -.-).

#2 Secondary School. I had one nasty former schoolmate who decided that when we went up to secondary it was cool to tell everyone I played with MLP still at 11. Probably it's why my ponies went away for a year or two. Ultimately at this point it was too cringeworthy to admit publically. MLP was a forgotten toy for "kids" in the "past".

#3 University. The time when I realised nobody actually cared but most people outside online community were also not interested. No real comments about it. No real interest either. Just one of those things I did.

#4 Work. G3 was out at this time. I had one living on my desk in the library office. One colleague gave her a learner plate (as I was learning to drive still then) and another gave her a welsh flag and a little fuzzy bug. This was "acceptance" and "interest" but not in the sense that it was really a major deal. They just thought she was cute. I used to amuse myself by adding ponies to my colleague's ebay watch list when he was stupid enough to leave his account logged in on the main desk. I never obviously bid on anything, it was just to remind him that leaving it logged in was not a good idea, and it worked.

#5 Return to university. Trickles, Feather May, Starbeam and Honey Buzz lived in my university room all year. People came in that room. Nobody bothered about them at all.

#6 Now. At college people accepted I collected MLP, with mixed reactions but no real disrespect. I had one student obsessed with G4 and we'd have some great conversations about them (whether I wanted to or not xD). He liked working with me though because we had that in common and he knew I knew who Rainbow Dash and co were and the history behind them. I still have a printout on my shelf he did for me of the original six in G1 form.

On reflection, I think that there are negative attitudes to people who collect "toys" and there are positive attitudes, too. I think different things are criticised, that's all. G4 has made certain aspects of MLP "cool". This has a backlash in terms of the "fringe" element of MLP. Once something becomes mainstream "cool" people react against it. I think G4 is also more girly than G1 (I noticed especially at Wondermint's display in Dudley, actually, how much MORE pink there was in the other generation stuff compared to G1, where there is a lot of pink but a wider colour balance.

Ultimately I don't think it's something FIM did, although I think the offensive comments made by members of the animation's design team towards previous generations do nothing to help those of us who collected before and don't want to be considered anachronistically as "bronies" or talk about symbols as cutie marks, etc.

However, it is more in the public eye again. I imagine, as an adult in the 1980s, it wouldve been seen as odd if you bought ponies for yourself, rather than had them as a kid. I don't know if any collectors here did that. The one collector I knew in the right age range began picking up second hand ponies for her grandkids and got hooked into it that way, but that was after MLP had ended in the mid 1990s.

There are just some people who don't get collecting, or maybe are looking for some justification for their own collecting (if they are being judged) in your answer to such stupid questions. Collecting makes some people judge, other people insecure. It's just one of those things.

Ultimately, if ponies make you happy, whatever generation, then it's nobody else's business. It doesn't improve their life if they make you annoyed or harass you. Questions like that really don't deserve answering. If people want to know, there's a respectful way to ask questions. If they aren't respectful, then there's no point in giving them your time.
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: lunar_scythe on September 05, 2015, 06:58:21 PM
I usually just reply to junk like that with "Because I like them?  Why else would anyone collect anything?"  and that's it.  You shouldn't have to justify where your own money goes, period, would they feel better if you spent your own money on jewelry or something?  Haha too bad, it's not any of their business, so :P to them! I'm slightly grumpy about that kind of thing; I had someone try a similar line last night at target when I was looking at the Star Wars stuff, and I wasn't even buying anything!
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: shadowspell7 on September 05, 2015, 09:30:45 PM
It's sad that some people feel the need to criticize something which brings joy and excitement to so many. I come from a family of toy collectors and they always tell me not to be ashamed of what I like to collect :) Cruel words from cruel people are worth zip.
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: Wardah on September 06, 2015, 01:40:34 AM
Could their attitudes be because the whole "brony" stigma? Because the sheer amount of "adult" brony fan arts out there a lot of people assume people who like MLP are into ponies "that way".
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: zombienixon on September 06, 2015, 03:08:34 AM
Could their attitudes be because the whole "brony" stigma? Because the sheer amount of "adult" brony fan arts out there a lot of people assume people who like MLP are into ponies "that way".

I doubt it. She said people have had that attitude since before FiM.
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: banditpony on September 06, 2015, 06:22:37 AM
If this ever happens again, don't even reply. It's not worth your time. It's obvious they are a nasty idiot. *meh* people...
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: buttonso on September 06, 2015, 07:03:57 AM
If this ever happens again, don't even reply. It's not worth your time. It's obvious they are a nasty idiot. *meh* people...

^^^
This is pretty much my philosophy.  I don't owe anyone (much less an anonymous jerk on a comment thread) an explanation, and they're just hoping to start something.


I find in real life, most people are pretty supportive/interested in my pony collecting. I post Facebook updates as I go through the childhood herd and clean them up. The family likes seeing it, since they remember the ponies too, and my coworkers like seeing my pony updates too (I'm assuming they're being honest when they stop me in the hall to ask me about my ponies, they're very friendly about it)- most of them are either around my age OR around my parents' age, so lots of people remember MLP with fondness either from their own childhood or their kids'.  The only person who's ever been rude about it was my Grandfather, but he's a cranky old man who doesn't really appreciate collecting ANYTHING so I just don't mention it around him ^^**

But yeah, people on the internet? Or a stranger in real life? You don't owe them an explanation, and someone who leads with "are you an 8 year old?" doesn't ACTUALLY want one anyway.

"Because I like them" is a perfectly good answer anyway if you can't resist.  Everyone is a geek for something, and most real-world people (at least in my own experience) seem to get it. But then I travel in geek-saturated circles even at work so my perception is probably skewed.
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: Strawberry Swirl on September 06, 2015, 08:49:53 AM
Could their attitudes be because the whole "brony" stigma? Because the sheer amount of "adult" brony fan arts out there a lot of people assume people who like MLP are into ponies "that way".

I sure hope not, although I do find people jump to the brony + pegasister labels when you say you like ponies.
Because you know, nothing besides G4 is acceptable and collectors no longer exist. (/sarcasm)
:silly:


I tend to respond to those questions very sarcastically. I like messing with people who take the time out of their lives to get upset because somebody likes something that they don't want them to. I don't necessarily feel that they deserve a serious answer anywho.

Besides, nothing has an inherit age in the context of who can enjoy them or who cannot. An adult can enjoy Care Bears and coloring, a child can enjoy playing Team Fortress 2 because none of those things have age restrictions. (Ok, TF2 kind of does but trust me. A LOT of kids are able to handle violent video games without an issue. It's rarer for them not to.)  :nerdy:
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: Taffeta on September 06, 2015, 09:56:53 AM
Could their attitudes be because the whole "brony" stigma? Because the sheer amount of "adult" brony fan arts out there a lot of people assume people who like MLP are into ponies "that way".
I sure hope not, although I do find people jump to the brony + pegasister labels when you say you like ponies.
Because you know, nothing besides G4 is acceptable and collectors no longer exist. (/sarcasm)
Fortunately nobody has ever been foolish enough to call me by either of those words. If they did, they would soon regret it. O.o. I am fine with FIM terms, but I have zero tolerance when any of them are applied to me, my collecting, or G1 in general. I admit I won't even bid on G1 ebay auctions if the seller has put 'brony' in the title...

I don't think this is FIM related, though. I think it's just an idiot trying to be clever, or someone who's insecure trying to big themselves up by belittling someone else's interests. (Their being on that location suggests either they went there to troll or they're not totally okay with their own collecting interests and decided to take it out on someone else).
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: PinkiePosh on September 06, 2015, 10:17:44 AM
I always have to justify it to people. I've even had someone ask me if I like MLP as an adult interest (I think y'all know what I mean). People have gotten aggressive with me and demanded answers from me, like "Why  are you like this?!" (most of these people being men who barely know me anyways).
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: DazzleKitty on September 06, 2015, 11:26:41 AM
Does anyone have people in their family that actually pressures you to sell your ponies, or lectures you about it? I find this just as annoying as having to justify collecting. I have a couple of family members that know they are worth money (my grandpa and a cousin), and they keep on asking me why I haven't sold them yet while they're worth money. *rolls eyes*  Hey, I'm the fool who will spend $100+ on a pony when I have the funds. No way am I selling my collection I love so much!
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: Taffeta on September 06, 2015, 11:33:07 AM
Does anyone have people in their family that actually pressures you to sell your ponies, or lectures you about it? I find this just as annoying as having to justify collecting. I have a couple of family members that know they are worth money (my grandpa and a cousin), and they keep on asking me why I haven't sold them yet while they're worth money. *rolls eyes*  Hey, I'm the fool who will spend $100+ on a pony when I have the funds. No way am I selling my collection I love so much!

Things like that make me realise how lucky I am. I bought something expensive recently. I don't usually break the bank for items, but this was special and a kind of one off opportunity. My mother's comment was, "it's your money, if it makes you happy O.o."

My money for school is locked away and she and Dad know I won't ever dip into that to pay for something frivolous, so she doesn't really worry about it. She takes the view that I could be going out drinking, getting into bad stuff or losing money in other ways. I've never been overdrawn and ponies are harmless and cute.

The only issue I have with my family at the moment is doing something with the broken Paradise Estate living in the spare room xD.
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: CadePony on September 06, 2015, 11:41:22 AM
People like that are incredibly shallow, in my opinion. And definitely not someone to worry about. Sadly, there are a lot of stupid people out there who have these kinds of reactions. I've had the same thing happen to me. Don't let it bother you. Collect, and live your life the way you want to. You don't have to justify what makes you happy. If someone else is worried about what you do, it's on them.

I agree 100% with this.
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: Twilight Pink on September 06, 2015, 11:51:42 AM
I would've ignored such comment in the first place...

No internet troll is worth my time nor attention.
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: ladybastilla on September 06, 2015, 01:57:16 PM
When I hear stuff like this my immediate thought is: "Instead of what? Buying stuff for you? As if!" (I'm a fairly generous person, but not to some internet troll that has just insulted me. :lol: ) My reaction, as others have said, is generally "Don't feed the troll."

In real life my pony hobby hasn't really gotten me any grief. My mother helps me hunt for ponies and mails off boxes for swaps. My dad thinks its fascinating that I get parcels from lots of different places and likes that ponies have indirectly gotten me into paper crafts and that my room is a lot neater despite having more stuff in it. My brothers are always curious which ponies have come in when they visit. If a swap partner wants items that I can't get here in Canada, my bf (who lives in the states) will often ship or drive them to me. But then, I've always been a toy collector so maybe for them it's not really a shock. :)

The way I see it: my bills are paid, I do charity stuff already, if my family needs help I'm the first to put my hobbies on hold and step up... So if I want to spend "my" money on ponies and other toys, anyone who wants to question me about it can try (and very likely fail) to fill my shoes. I like things that are whimsical and cute, but anyone who mistakes me for some vapid airhead who "wastes" her money is very, very wrong. I'm a really detail oriented person and toys are my way of relaxing and not being so darn serious all the time. :)
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: NinaMarie on September 06, 2015, 04:46:39 PM
Star Wars figures (they are not toys) are collectibles. My Little Ponies and Monster High are toys for little girls.

^ That is it right there. For those folks there is a bias towards female-centric items being toys for children only and not something one should enjoy into adulthood. There is nothing childish about grown men collecting action figures however.  :really:
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: Portobella on September 06, 2015, 05:51:38 PM
Does anyone have people in their family that actually pressures you to sell your ponies, or lectures you about it? I find this just as annoying as having to justify collecting.

I have a sibling who says my pony collecting 'makes me completely unrelatable to normal people'. Another sibling, when visiting my apartment, said ponies are for children... then just went and took my only MIB G1 out of its display case and almost succeeded in giving it to her child to open.

Unfortunately, there will always be nasty, superficial people around to belittle you and the things you love. I mention ponies if it's relevant, and have never hidden my interest. I believe that people should be kind to others, and that people should do what makes them happy. This is how I treat others, and if they in turn are rude, they aren't worth the time. But I know this is easier said than done... unfair comments can really sting, and letting go isn't always an easy thing to do  :blush:

Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: Al-1701 on September 06, 2015, 06:56:42 PM
I'm fortunate to be surrounded by people who understand and even share my interest.  However, I can imagine the problem is even worse for male collectors.

I think it's people who don't understand hobbies and need to beat other people down to feel better.  They see you enjoying something they don't like, and they feel the need to get on your case because you're happier than they are.
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: ladybastilla on September 06, 2015, 07:06:51 PM
Star Wars figures (they are not toys) are collectibles. My Little Ponies and Monster High are toys for little girls.

^ That is it right there. For those folks there is a bias towards female-centric items being toys for children only and not something one should enjoy into adulthood. There is nothing childish about grown men collecting action figures however.  :really:

This is another very valid point. "Girl" toys are either suppose to disappear once we reach adulthood or turn into the "real thing" they once represented so that we can properly serve men. That probably sounds harsh, but if you think about some of the "toys" we give little girls it's the truth.

Male centric toys do not lose their value because they were, are, and will always remain intrinsically male within geek (which is also predominantly male) culture as well. Two people, one combined income, then pets or babies come along... Regardless of genders there's generally a giver and a taker; and when we add gender, society has been teaching men that they are the latter for centuries.

I see this in my own parents. If my dad wants something, he goes and gets it. If my mom wants something, it doesn't happen unless my dad goes and gets it for her. And in their situation, it's not my dad saying "You can't have _____." It's my mom talking herself out of buying it. Sometimes it's a fight to get her to allow herself to get hair coloring. Sometimes she needs something more pricey (a new PC, for example) but simply will not allow herself to do that even when my dad goes ahead and spends $700 fixing up his fishing boat.

Collectors, by our very nature, defy this. We feel that it is okay to spend money on something we enjoy despite and / or regardless of our gender and the unwritten (or not) rules that go with it. It's not polite to say "You are a woman. You should be serving your man." in today's world, but modern society will still let people get away with "Why do you collect those stupid pink horses?" because of the implications I've listed above. And make no mistake--whether the person consciously realizes it or not they have learned it's okay to say this either because (1) you are a woman and are to be questioned, or (2) you are collecting a feminine toy in a culture where only male toys are to be valued.
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: Taffeta on September 07, 2015, 06:36:59 AM
Lets not forget the fact that half the toys young girls have involve simulation around being mother to a baby who cries or needs nappies changed, cooking, cleaning, cribs and such other stereotypical nonsense.

When I was a kid it was all about playing mummies and daddies and even now you see young girls pushing dolls in pushchairs or prams. Ponies defy that stereotype for the most part as they can have families but are not your species (despite Hasbro's attempts with my little pony Mummy, it is more normal to see a young girl carrying a pony by its tail or hugging a plush one round the neck than in a pushchair or pram).

It defies the natural order therefore it has no place in women's adulthood. Sad but true.
8
My dad collects puppets, as I said before, but he and my mother have an amount each set aside every month asvtheir own pocket money. Mum loves books, and it seems a fair way to do it.

Men's figures are technically still dolls XD and definitely toys.

Nobody has called my ponies childish for a long time, but if they do I shall just present them with some books on equine representation and tell them to do some wider reading. If it is ok to study at phd level, it is ok to collect at adult level.
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: buttonso on September 07, 2015, 06:44:35 AM
I think part of why my parents are so understanding is the nostalgia factor. They remember ponies because my sisters and I liked them, so they like seeing them again. They are a little confused as to why I would want anything but G1, but they're very encouraging. When I had my big thrift store find a couple weeks ago it was actually my Dad who was most eager to see all the ponies.  :blush:  (but then years and years ago when eBay first came to be, he went on a quest to replace some of HIS childhood toys so he definitely gets that feeling)

But then I should hope that the people who love you will support your hobby anyway even if they think it odd. Some of the posts on this thread have made me very sad/angry at the rude and cruel things you guys have encountered. :(
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: zombienixon on September 07, 2015, 06:54:14 AM
Men's figures are technically still dolls XD and definitely toys.

About the only difference between an action figure and a doll is molded hair, and that they're marketed toward boys. Manufacturers only started calling them 'action figures' since they figured parents (the father, more likely) would flip out if their son was playing with dolls.  Apparently it's okay if they just call it something else.

Makes me wonder I can get away with collecting Equestria Girls if I tell people they're action figures for girls.
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: Taffeta on September 07, 2015, 06:58:34 AM
That would definitely make Shining Armour an action figure then...
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: Wardah on September 07, 2015, 07:26:31 AM
Lets not forget the fact that half the toys young girls have involve simulation around being mother to a baby who cries or needs nappies changed, cooking, cleaning, cribs and such other stereotypical nonsense.

When I was a kid it was all about playing mummies and daddies and even now you see young girls pushing dolls in pushchairs or prams.

People who collect Cabbage Patch Kids or My Child or reborn dolls get questioned even worse because it's assumed the dolls are a surrogate for wanting a real baby. But dolls don't usually need any care outside of an occasional dusting.

I'm not having kids but I don't begrudge people who do. My only issue is despite it taking a male and a female to create a baby in most cases, it's always the mum who has the burden of raising the baby. Boys should be allowed and encouraged to play with baby nurturing type toys since someday they might become dads. While I would like it if all genders could play with any toy they want, I'd want baby dolls to become acceptable for boys before fashion dolls.
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: Taffeta on September 07, 2015, 07:30:18 AM
Mm, my best friend has a my child doll and categorically does not want a baby having fostered her niece to adulthood through family issues. I wasn't talking about adult collectors of such toys, but how the market is aiming those ideas and toys at young girls enforcibg expected gender roles.

Kids and adults can buy and collect what they like to me, but I think there are too many gender role stereotyped toys on shelves and it is not improving even as social attitudes allegedly are becoming more liberal.
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: Sapphire-Light on September 07, 2015, 08:57:56 AM
When people say to me things like being childish and inmature about my hobbies, I tell them that a real mature thing is to admit to like something and don't feel intimidate to hear what other people say or critcize about you   :P

Lol when I say this to people they don't repply me back  :lol:

 
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: Al-1701 on September 07, 2015, 09:11:19 AM
Wasn't it C.S. Lewis who said "I had to put away my childish things, like believing things are childish and I have to act like a grown-up"?

I think pony might be ridiculed because they are fantasy.  They're not just ponies, they're intelligent ponies who can talk, think, and have adventures in world where you talk about the weather with the weather among other things.  Science fiction and fantasy geared towards girls in general is treated like it's something that has to be grown out of.
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: frizzycat on September 07, 2015, 09:19:18 AM
Yup. One of my favourite quotes.

"“Critics who treat 'adult' as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence. And in childhood and adolescence they are, in moderation, healthy symptoms. Young things ought to want to grow. But to carry on into middle life or even into early manhood this concern about being adult is a mark of really arrested development. When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.”

I haven't yet run into people who've said bad things about my toy collections. The strongest reaction I had was probably from an older friend who said 'Holy *bleep*' when she saw my collection. Then for my birthday she got me some more things to add to it. :)
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: LadyMoondancer on September 07, 2015, 09:23:43 AM
Lets not forget the fact that half the toys young girls have involve simulation around being mother to a baby who cries or needs nappies changed, cooking, cleaning, cribs and such other stereotypical nonsense.

When I was a kid it was all about playing mummies and daddies and even now you see young girls pushing dolls in pushchairs or prams. Ponies defy that stereotype for the most part as they can have families but are not your species (despite Hasbro's attempts with my little pony Mummy, it is more normal to see a young girl carrying a pony by its tail or hugging a plush one round the neck than in a pushchair or pram).

The "My Little Pony mommy" commercials always irritated me as a kid because in NO sense did I consider myself the ponies' "mommy".  The ponies had friendships and relationships with each other (and other toys), not with me.  I was the writer, they were the story.

I hated baby dolls as a kid.  Why would I want a toy that fake-pees on me??  These days they have baby dolls that poop and get diaper rash.  Really?  Just . . . really?  What's next, a baby doll that gets colic and cries all night and no matter what you do it won't stop?

I definitely agree that women are expected to be the responsible ones who put their childish things away, while it's more acceptable for men to continue collecting male-oriented toys.  I think in general women are made to feel selfish and greedy if they buy something for themself rather than attending to someone else's needs.
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: Al-1701 on September 07, 2015, 09:28:42 AM
My Grandma bought an entire collection of Ninja Turtles when they came out.  She lined a room in her house with them.  And she was in her mid 50's at the time.  On of my cousins ended up with the collection when she died, but she showed no shame buying them or having them.

And oh the "My Little Pony Mommy" ads.  Why?  Why do those exist?
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: Strawberry Swirl on September 07, 2015, 09:33:30 AM
The "My Little Pony mommy" commercials always irritated me as a kid because in NO sense did I consider myself the ponies' "mommy".  The ponies had friendships and relationships with each other (and other toys), not with me.  I was the writer, they were the story.

Yeah honestly? I don't know anybody who considers their ponies to be their children. Also, where does the term "my little pony mommy" leave a small non binary kid like me, or male fans? Just on the edge, watching over everybody else? LOL

I hated baby dolls as a kid.  Why would I want a toy that fake-pees on me??  These days they have baby dolls that poop and get diaper rash.  Really?  Just . . . really?  What's next, a baby doll that gets colic and cries all night and no matter what you do it won't stop?

I don't get this either. I mean...the fascination with toys that go to the bathroom is gross at best.
That's why the Drink n' Wet baby ponies creep me out. (I call 'em the omorashi babies lol but that's probably inappropriate.) It's gross.

I definitely agree that women are expected to be the responsible ones who put their childish things away, while it's more acceptable for men to continue collecting male-oriented toys.  I think in general women are made to feel selfish and greedy if they buy something for themself rather than attending to someone else's needs.


Oh, and this too. Women? Buying and keeping things that make them happy?
If we let 'em do that, they might begin to think they're people with individual interests and goals rather than
maids with no pay!!

Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: Al-1701 on September 07, 2015, 09:44:36 AM
Well.  I don't think they could have gotten away with "I'm a My Little Pony God."
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: Taffeta on September 07, 2015, 11:48:10 AM
From the one surviving ad I know of from the UK at that time, the UK did not use it. The jingle, yes, the words, no. (Party Pony ad, 1987-8). The soundclip is on my page on the 1987 taf page I think.

I do remember collect them all and step into the world of ponyland or some such...

Drink and Wet babies encourage wetting oneself, which is hardly good! I love how the comic always found another way to get the panties wet that did not involve baby pony accidents.
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: PinkiePosh on September 07, 2015, 11:55:40 AM
When people say to me things like being childish and inmature about my hobbies, I tell them that a real mature thing is to admit to like something and don't feel intimidate to hear what other people say or critcize about you   :P

Lol when I say this to people they don't repply me back  :lol:


What a good response!
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me \'justify\' why I collect
Post by: Leave a Whisper on September 07, 2015, 12:56:53 PM
Does anyone have people in their family that actually pressures you to sell your ponies, or lectures you about it? I find this just as annoying as having to justify collecting.

I have a sibling who says my pony collecting 'makes me completely unrelatable to normal people'. Another sibling, when visiting my apartment, said ponies are for children... then just went and took my only MIB G1 out of its display case and almost succeeded in giving it to her child to open.

Unfortunately, there will always be nasty, superficial people around to belittle you and the things you love. I mention ponies if it's relevant, and have never hidden my interest. I believe that people should be kind to others, and that people should do what makes them happy. This is how I treat others, and if they in turn are rude, they aren't worth the time. But I know this is easier said than done... unfair comments can really sting, and letting go isn't always an easy thing to do  :blush:

Seriously? I would have chewed her out.  :angry:

Post Merge: September 07, 2015, 01:00:24 PM

My Grandma bought an entire collection of Ninja Turtles when they came out.  She lined a room in her house with them.  And she was in her mid 50's at the time.  On of my cousins ended up with the collection when she died, but she showed no shame buying them or having them.

And oh the "My Little Pony Mommy" ads.  Why?  Why do those exist?

That's so cool :biggrin:
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: Strawberry Swirl on September 07, 2015, 01:08:34 PM
Well.  I don't think they could have gotten away with "I'm a My Little Pony God."

Says who? I AM a my little pony god!  :silly: :silly:
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: hathorcat on September 07, 2015, 01:10:07 PM
I honestly think this is a case of dont feed a troll. The internet is full of people with too much time on their hands and who with the anonimity of a keyboard seem to take joy and delight in simply being mean.

I am open about collecting to those I know and to people in real life...I am open about collecting on forums where I know there are like minded people. For my own sanity, I dont engage about things like collecting in locations where I dont know the type of other member. Unfortunately, no matter the subject, no matter your comment, someone would have had something negative to say. Best just to move on and ignore it :) You dont have to explain or justify yourself to anyone.
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: Strawberry Swirl on September 07, 2015, 01:14:00 PM
Another sibling, when visiting my apartment, said ponies are for children... then just went and took my only MIB G1 out of its display case and almost succeeded in giving it to her child to open.

In all honesty though, I think you should ask for reimbursement. G1 MIB ponies aren't cheap.
She should seriously pay you back.
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: Al-1701 on September 07, 2015, 01:36:27 PM
Well.  I don't think they could have gotten away with "I'm a My Little Pony God."

Says who? I AM a my little pony god!  :silly: :silly:
All hail Sapphire Rain!
In all honesty though, I think you should ask for reimbursement. G1 MIB ponies aren't cheap.
She should seriously pay you back.
I think she meant she was able to prevent the opening.
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: Taffeta on September 08, 2015, 03:35:14 AM
I have to admit that if my sister did that to any of my MIP ponies, we'd have serious issues between us.

Sister does collect/keep ponies, but she doesn't believe in having them MIP. The only MOC she has is Fizzy which I got for her because she had her Fizzy (1st pony) second hand and never had one on card. That one is special so she stays in that condition. Although I know Naynie dislikes MIP in general, she would never do harm to one of my collection because we have different values that way. A sibling ought to respect and support, not try to vandalise. I'm sure they would hate if you decided to tip wine over their new sofa because you felt it needed to be more 'lived on'...
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: Rainbowrific Renia on September 08, 2015, 09:22:57 AM
This past weekend we had a housewarming party since my fiance and I are finally settled into our new house.  I have an entire bedroom dedicated to my pony collection and it was the first time I was able to show anyone, outside of friends and close family, my whole collection.  I got mostly positive reactions to it (my favorite being "I guess this is what you can do when you don't have kids to spend money on" to which I replied "Which is exactly why we're not having kids" :lol:) but I did have two people who told me I should "stop buying those ponies" and buy more practical things (which confused me because I'm pretty sure you can buy both non-practical and practical things at the same time, not one or the other).

Ahem...

No.

I have a job, and I get to spend my money how I want.  I have my priorities straight, but I'm also allowed to have fun, and for me that means buying G1 and G4 ponies, as well as expanding my other collections.  I just found it a bit irritating that someone would say that to me, but I ignored the comments and shrugged them off.  I mean... I have a frickin' house.  My fiance and I are 25 and 26 years old and we're homeowners!  But you're going to sit here and tell me I'm being childish for collecting ponies?  Ha!  Besides, my fiance also collects toys and figures, this is obviously something we enjoy, so why would you think it's okay to step all over someone's happiness like that?

For the most part though, I don't run into people who have negative things to say about my collection.  Even the people who claim not to understand can at least leave my room saying that they're impressed.

In saying all of that, I just ignore people who have anything bad to say about my various collections.  I know it's easier said than done, though.  At least ignoring people on the internet is easy!  Don't let the comments of others get to you, always take it with a grain of salt.  You should never have to justify what you spend your hard-earned money on. ;)
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: Wardah on September 08, 2015, 12:32:12 PM
This past weekend we had a housewarming party since my fiance and I are finally settled into our new house.  I have an entire bedroom dedicated to my pony collection and it was the first time I was able to show anyone, outside of friends and close family, my whole collection.  I got mostly positive reactions to it (my favorite being "I guess this is what you can do when you don't have kids to spend money on" to which I replied "Which is exactly why we're not having kids" :lol:) but I did have two people who told me I should "stop buying those ponies" and buy more practical things (which confused me because I'm pretty sure you can buy both non-practical and practical things at the same time, not one or the other).

Those two people probably only have enough income to afford to buy practical things and either can't wrap their heads around the idea that one can have enough income to do both or are simply jealous that you can.
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: Rainbowrific Renia on September 08, 2015, 12:37:58 PM
Those two people probably only have enough income to afford to buy practical things and either can't wrap their heads around the idea that one can have enough income to do both or are simply jealous that you can.

You're probably right.  It just completely rubbed me the wrong way that someone would criticize my collection when one of the major points of the housewarming was to show off our house and the things in it.  I guess some people don't know how to bite their tongue, huh?  Like I said though, I just shrugged it off and kept going as though they hadn't said anything. :whistle:
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: Noxxbunny on September 08, 2015, 01:32:21 PM
When people say to me things like being childish and inmature about my hobbies, I tell them that a real mature thing is to admit to like something and don't feel intimidate to hear what other people say or critcize about you   :P

Lol when I say this to people they don't repply me back  :lol:



I pretty much say something similar. I've had a few of my friends tell me that they wish they could be as open as I am about who they are and what they like and that I'm brave.  I admit...It makes me so sad that being yourself without shame is something to be considered "brave" or "strong". And my heart does break for those trapped in such a narrow view of the world because they were raised to be nothing but "normal" with "normal" hobbies(if any at all. It scares me sometimes how many people don't seem to have ANY sort of hobby. Like...what do you do with your spare time besides watching TV?) and a "normal" job and they must have a "normal" life and family.

I think a lot of these kinds of people are the ones who lash out at others who are doing what makes them happy. These people aren't able to live how they want because they fear the judgement of others so fiercely. I could never imagine living that way. Seems like a waste of a life, in a way. Only doing what others expect of you and nothing for yourself.

Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: Taxel on September 08, 2015, 02:12:43 PM
Does anyone have people in their family that actually pressures you to sell your ponies, or lectures you about it? I find this just as annoying as having to justify collecting. I have a couple of family members that know they are worth money (my grandpa and a cousin), and they keep on asking me why I haven't sold them yet while they're worth money. *rolls eyes*  Hey, I'm the fool who will spend $100+ on a pony when I have the funds. No way am I selling my collection I love so much!

I used to get that a bit, but it was mostly about my dolls. Since I sold off the majority of the expensive ones to fund other things (mostly less expensive or different dolls, ponies, etc) its pretty much stopped. I prefer baity ponies so I've made it clear that my ponies would be a lot more trouble to sell than they'd ever make (if anyone even bought them of course, which is unlikely).


I haven't gotten new ponies in a while but any time I want to buy something real and tangible for my collections I get crap for it. I sell things to I save up for what I want but actually buying a real object is terrible! Owning so many things is bad, I don't have enough space, where would I put it... you get the picture. I got rid of most of my belongings (not from collections but it was way more than all my collections tripled) and I STILL get crap about it. We've vastly improved the space situation and I've got plenty of room for the extremely rare purchases I make but that's not enough. :/

Today my boyfriend's mom followed me into BF & I's room while we were discussing the furniture being delivered today, if anything was in the way, etc. She looked at our bookshelf (with a grand total of 4 dolls on it, 3 of which will be moved into a new home today) and my display area (full of dolls and ponies... obviously... since that's the entire point...) and commented on how I sure do have a lot of dolls. She was very clearly disapproving. Lately I've been doing nothing but organizing my collections and making space! Its so frustrating that it feels like it'll never be enough unless I throw them all into boxes and shove them in the garage.

She's much more okay with digital purchases. Video games, game currency, shiny skins, pretty weapons, silly pets, etc are all fine and good. Buy as much as you want! But the second its a real object, something that you can hold and touch and even resell later if you need to? Its wasting space, there's no room, etc etc etc... I've never, ever met anyone else who feels that way. Its so backwards compared to everyone I've ever known, who would all much rather buy/support purchases of tangible things. I'm all for digital purchases but I'd often rather buy things I can photograph and enjoy in real life. I mean, my 2nd biggest interest/hobby is photography! I need subjects for that.


Aside from that everyone is supportive and I don't think I've ever been asked to justify why I collect, unless you count genuinely polite curious questions about why I like X specifically. The little girls in my life love it because when I come to visit it means I brought ponies and dolls they can play with (or in some cases very nice/expensive ones they're only allowed to look at, which they still love). I've had all sorts of relatives show interest in my collections, buy me things, help me hunt for stuff, etc. But collecting runs in my family. My granny collects dolls from different countries, her sister kept her childhood dolls in a beautiful display case all these years (until she gave them to me) and collects teddy bears, my great grandma has all sorts of rooster/chicken themed stuff, my cousin collected Wizard of Oz things when she was younger, my other grandma had a bunch of decorative painted plates, my dad collected Nascar stuff... Heck, my boyfriend's dad even collects Hot Wheels and football stuff, his stepmom collects dolphins, his little sister collects Monster High...

Thinking about it like this I guess it was only natural I'd start collecting something and it wouldn't be a big deal.
Title: Re: I think someone just tried to make me 'justify' why I collect
Post by: Sweet_Stuff on September 08, 2015, 02:54:22 PM
Haha, ahh... the collector in me is screaming her head off "YES YES!!" Geez, can I relate to this post..

I collect ('80s) toys, as well as keychains, bookmarks, stamps, decor pins, coins, costume jewelry and Ty Beanie Babies (Yes, I admit this..only cats and bears though! lol) . . . the last five collections are inactive of sorts..but they are collections, and I enjoy them all! And yes, I'd rather be at home styling pony hair than hanging out with friends or being on a date.. (well, it depends on how bad the date is going! :lol:)

People in general have told me crazy stuff about my 'obsession' -- yes, family, friends, co-workers, boyfriends...If they think I'm weird, so be it.. I think they're weird for thinking I'm weird. :P :biggrin:
SimplePortal 2.3.5 © 2008-2012, SimplePortal