I wish I knew why ponies made me so happy...

[mul-ta]

I do occasionally get like you though and think what then hell am I doing. But then I pick up a pony and brush her hair and it reminds me of happy times and innocence, my early childhood when the only type of pain was physical (from falling over etc). As I got older there was a lot more emotional pain and I wish I'd had my ponies to deal with some of it. That's the beauty of My Little Pony, sit there brushing their mane and tails and its like brushing the bad stuff away.

Gusty put it better than I ever could. As a child, my ponies were among my most precious treasures. Today every last pony on my shelf reminds me of the time I had with my first one. Every new pony is a bit of a gift to the 5-year-old in me who dreamed of them. I pamper my ponies and give them custom hairstyles. Some have developed a personality of their own. I'm often told I appear gloomy and serious but deep inside I never stopped playing. I believe this quality has had its role in helping me get through everyday life even when it's no longer so easy.

Some people do think my collecting is childish. Then they look at my bookshelf, loaded with intimidating military-related volumes in five languages. I may collect ponies, but that's not all I do.

[achab1984]

l also wonder why sometimes why I love mine so much also.
Could be cause they bring back a lot of good memories when I was little. All the fun times I had when I got to go the store with my mom. I would ask if I can go look at the toys. I would run back to the ponies and just stand there! If I did not get anything for a while I would walk around the store and look for my mom. I still remember walking out with some of my ponies

All of there pretty colors and symbols that are on them. They are very nice to look at and I also LOVE there smell!!! I know that there are a lot people that do not like the smell. But I always have. I love the smell of a new book, magazine and Breyer Horses

[Beth3346]

I've thought about this a lot too.

When I first started collecting I was just going to replace a couple of my favorite childhood toys (Care Bears, MLPs, and Littlest Pet Shops).  I was going through a rough time and they reminded me of better times.

Soon I had a fairly large collection of ponies.  Then I started feeling uneasy about my collecting. I kept thinking I would get board of the ponies and sell most of my collection. I would even start selling them off, have second thoughts and then buy more. 

That was almost four years ago.  Now I've accepted that collecting is part of my life now.  No one except my boyfriend know that I collect ponies.  He doesn't mind except for when I complain that I don't have enough money for clothes because I spent too much money on ponies lol

As far as I know none of my friends or family collect anything so I don't really feel that need to discuss it.  I kind of like it this way. My pony collection is for me. I collect ponies because I like them. They make me happy. When I look at my collection I feel good even if I had a horrible day.  They're pretty, and colorful, and remind me of happy childhood memories.

If your collection makes you happy then feel good about it.  Part of being a grown up is being able to do what makes you happy.

[CupcakePony]

I really do. Sometimes I'll look over at my growing collection and just smile at them, pick one up, brush her hair a little and just grin. Or I'll listen to MLP:FIM songs on youtube and just sing to myself and feel all happy and cheerful. Or I'll doodle a pony and it just makes me happy to see her looking back at me.

But then sometimes, other times, I'll look at my collection and just think...why? And I suddenly feel really stupid. And it usually strikes me when I'm all excited to buy a new pony I've been searching for. I don't know if it's buyers remorse or sheer embarrassment or what, but I have this moment where I don't understand my own logic. Why do I need another plastic toy that looks just like all my other ones but different colors? Or I'll shut the music off, berating myself for listening to children's music. Or I'll stop drawing because I need to draw more mature things.

Haha, and then I feel bad because I DO love my ponies and then the whole cycle repeats.

I know how you feel but age is really just a number and you can't help still loving certain things from childhood.  I'm in my late 30s and I occasionally get looks and remarks from people when I mention MLPs but I don't let that stop me.  People like different things and the saddest part of being some adults is that they've allowed their inner child to die.  Don't want to be that ever!  I even play the MLP game app on iPhone , occasionally buy small stuffed animals (recently a giraffe and Cookie Monster), and stickers for my collection binders or to decorate my Filofaxes.  My husband bought me some MLPs for my birthday from Target.


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[mlpkatie]

I have the same feelings! When Me and my friend (who is absolutely boy crazy and rather talk about boys then anything else, shh!) are talking and I get excited and tell her about a pony that I just recently got or how many ponies I have and so on, she's all like "cool," "awesome," and one word stuff like that and looks kinda bored and uninterested. Sometimes she even has a facial expression that seems like "seriously? ponies again, omg." Or sometimes she laughs and I feel as if she is laughing at my childishness. It makes me think "Am I still stuck in my childhood and don't want to face the fact that I have to grow up?" but then I go home and look at my ponies and just smile. Sometimes I don't care what people think, but then other times I strongly do. A lot of my cousins my age (13-18 years old) still laugh at me about it, and one time we had a family get together at my house, and it was the first time they have seen the ponies, I left the room for one second and they have knocked over a shelf with a good 100+ ponies and two playsets. Of coarse I got a little emotional and just knelt on the floor and started picking them up fixing their hair back and what not. Most of them laughed at me, and the youngest one (13) offered to help but I was too broke down to take her offer. I made them leave. that was over a year ago and I still cannot get over it, thats probably why I feel down sometimes about them. My parents support me, but sometimes I think they get aggravated when I want to talk about ponies or always cleaning some in the kitchen. Oh well, ponies make me happy and i guess thats all that should matter.   

[CupcakePony]

Sorry to hear that BabyPosey .  I have mean immature cousins too, but for different reasons.  I would have been very angry too if they disrespected my stuff like that!


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[Water_Fire]

That sucks BabyPosey, I'm sorry. It doesn't matter what it is, you should always respect other people's stuff!

I do feel a bit odd sometimes, as an adult collector. I do sit and look at my ponies sometimes and go 'really?' However, whatever makes me happy makes me happy. Other women may go all out on clothes and makeup and that kind of thing, but that's not me. The money I don't spend on shoes goes on ponies!

Plus, I think ponies might be my subconscious trying to balance me out a bit. I was always a tomboy as a kid, more interested in bikes and video games than dolls and pink. I still remember my mum yelling at me to brush my hair because I hadn't done it for days! I was as surprised as anyone when I started collecting, as I was thinking 'Why do I find these plastic ponies so cute?' Anyone who comes across my collection for the first time goes, 'Really? YOU collect ponies? But it's so girly!' Haha!

[KierneM]

I love my ponies, they are a cheerful reminder of the best times of my childhood.

[Heartcease]

I love my ponies, they are a cheerful reminder of the best times of my childhood.

Same.  I don't think people feel ashamed when they keep up with something like sports card collecting.  They can tell others it's an investment.  But I bet there's more than a few that just like seeing them all, going through each one and rereading them for the hundredth time, and enjoying the feel of them.  If they don't have to feel all embarrassed, I don't think we should.  Though I did get all bashful when my husband mentioned my collection to the lady next door.  Her little girl thought it was the greatest thing ever.  I can't wait until I finish off my craft room (ok, it's my "everything" room) so that I can get them on display again.

[NoPonySpecial]

 My Little Ponies are charmed. That has to be it. I'm not even a horse person or a girly person, but I am enchanted by My Little Ponies! Clearly there is a charm on them that makes any person who owns one want an entire herd! It's magic I tell you!!
 Or maybe it's the soft edges and the colors and the friendly eyes. Who knows?