Do you feel uneasy when you buy ponies?

[Dreamer]

(I don't know if this belongs to WYP, if so, please move)
Even if I go to flea markets far away from my home, I feel nervous when there are too much people who can see I'm buying a toy... especially my parents (I'm hiding the fact that I collect toys,my parents wouldn't be happy about that). The last day I was laughed off by two little girls (around 8 or 9) when I was buying a Zelf - and it even wasn't for me! It was for my cousin-niece who came from the hospital after an operation. Why should I get laughed off because I'm buying a toy for her?!

Do you feel the same? Please share your experiences.

[ashes]

Not really.  I've been a collector for a long time, so any embarrassment over purchasing a toy is long gone.  Plus my family and close friends know I collect.  When I buy a pony in the store, most of the time I just get asked by the cashier if I want a gift receipt.  Sometimes, yes it's a gift (I do have 4 kids!), but sometimes no, it's for me.

[Rainfeather]

(I don't know if this belongs to WYP, if so, please move)
Even if I go to flea markets far away from my home, I feel nervous when there are too much people who can see I'm buying a toy... especially my parents (I'm hiding the fact that I collect toys,my parents wouldn't be happy about that). The last day I was laughed off by two little girls (around 8 or 9) when I was buying a Zelf - and it even wasn't for me! It was for my cousin-niece who came from the hospital after an operation. Why should I get laughed off because I'm buying a toy for her?!

Do you feel the same? Please share your experiences.

Yes I feel ashamed. That's why I just blurt out 'I collect them!' to sellers lol.
So well... I came out... no use to feel ashamed anymore :')

I work with kids, and wear my MLP sweater/shirts then (finally get a excuse to wear them, since I can't wear them at office) and get a lot of remarks from children like giggles, being made fun of, question like: 'do you like my little pony'?  And I tell them immediately that I collect them and think they are awesome.

See, I work with kids to teach them respect for diversity.
This is a lesson. These kids never met an adult wich likes 'kids' stuff (stuff they even vieuw as immature). And I teach them this way that this excists. And you don't have to be ashamed of it. And it works.

Never allow yourself to be ashamed.
My best friend thinks it's ridicoulous that I collect MLP. Well hey, atleast I'm not doing drugs!

Your not hurting anybody with your hobby.
Old men can play with trains, make doll houses and play with miniature airplanes and cars and such... Men can play games. Women seem to have to be 'matture' and only care about kids and a clean house or something...
(and offcourse men can not collect ponies). Just prejudices you have to fight against.
Every time you 'come out' of your collecting, widens someones horizon, and vieuw on the world

You're a world-changer! woohoo!!  (well... in a small way... but well... even a baby-step is a step in the right direction)

[lunar_scythe]

*hugs* I never really tried to hide collecting, if it's MY money, and I'm not spending money I need for bills on ponies, then it isn't anyone elses business!

My coworkers buy fancy purses, or go out to clubs a lot or whatever, and I buy ponies and go to concerts.  They don't understand my collecting, but that's ok, I don't understand how they can spend $300+ on a purse, so we are even.

The only thing I can think of is if you want to continue hiding it, say they are for someone else and try to ignore anyone who laughs/discourages you.  Or try to get people to see collecting is not 'weird'; after all it's perfectly ok to collect beanie babies, or at least it was a few years ago!  No one laughs at stamp collecting, or porcelain dolls, so why are ponies and 'modern' toys so funny to collect?

[doxiechic16]

I am VERY awkward and anxious when it comes to buying anything that is technically perceived as being for children or people younger than me in public and I've been that way for years.    For example, I used to make my mom buy my Red Wall books for me at the book store because they are "kids books."

I feel like I can maybe get away with buying toys now because I'm old enough at 27 that I could be buying them for my own children (which I don't have) or as a gift for a friend or family member's children (this happens from time to time).  That being said, I look much younger than I really am, so I think people are probably looking at me thinking, "Wow, why is that 15 year old girl still into buying toys?  Shouldn't she go buy some clothes or makeup?"     

I'm so thankful for the Internet so that I can buy ALL the ponies that I could possibly want and afford and have them shipped discreetly to my home!   

[Majesty]

Nope I got over it a long time ago. 

[Wardah]

I don't care. The whole idea that women should be spending all their money on makeup and clothes is really just sexism. If guys are annoyed because I'm spending money on something I enjoy rather than something to make myself more appealing to them well tough nuggets. Nobody gives a guy any hell for collecting trains or action figures because a man isn't expected to spend all his money on his appearance.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

[hathorcat]

I think it can take time and I think you have to be relatively confident in yourself. Its certainly not something I have ever been ashamed of [people have more unique hobbies and collect more peculiar things - we all all just people with a passion or interest at the end of the day] but equally its not something I tell everyone about...if they ask about hobbies I will share but I dont just randomly tell people [my mum does...she tells everyone she meets ]  However perhaps that kind of confidence comes with age or just with the amount of time you have been collecting.

There is nothing wrong in being a little unsure of yourself or of your hobby; I am sure you will grow into it with time. However, if it upsets you or worries you or causes you tension then its something you should deal with - even if its a matter of talking to those who love you and will not judge. Sure you may get some puzzled faces and some scoffing remarks but if people know, it should make you more confident in collecting and that will help you enjoy it even more.

[PrincessGlitterBloom]

Yes but it's part afraid of judgement, part oh no I'm hoarding. Feelings.
Mostly hoarding.
I have so many ponies already you know?

[BrightLight]

Not at all. I'm happy when I can buy ponies!
My family and friends know and accept that I collect toys. I'm not hurting anyone with my hobby so I don't care what strangers think about it. If they have a problem with it, then well, it is their problem.

[sleepyowl]

I don't feel uneasy or ashamed when I buy ponies... or any toys for that matter! I don't really feel judged or anything... I guess maybe it helps that I look a lot younger than I am? Either way, I wouldn't care. I'm so used to negative attention from growing up in a smallish southern town and liking "alternative" things my entire life, so I don't even notice anymore when I get looks from people.

[Malicieuse]

After all these years i can still feel a bit uneasy. I'm not really "proud" of my collecting habit and i don't tell most people.
I especially dislike having to dig through blindbags. It always makes me feel akward.

[Tap Dancer]

Nope. I feel no embarrassment whatsoever.

[slj84]

10 years of collecting I really don't care.  I don't shout if from the roof tops, but if asked im honest. 

My favorite story was when I took my niece into toys r us, sunset shimmer had just been released.  So I let my niece pick out a pony (she picked pinkie pie) and I got sunset shimmer.  The lady in line in front of me had this cute smile on her face as Audrey was talking to me about them.  Then Audrey (she's was 3 at the time), goes here's your pony and hands it to me.  The women's facial expression turned from a smile to a frown and she shakes her head and turns around.

Honestly I could of cared less what someone who isn't even part of my life thinks about me.  It really was for me, but there are times when my nieces will pick something and go this ones for me and pick another and say this ones for you to play with me with.  When reality is I get both if them for her.

It's your money, and as long as your making sure all your other obligations are taken care of, your not hurting them so it's none of their business.

[zombienixon]

I've been buying pony merch for a couple of years, so I kind of got over it. Well, mostly.  Whenever I'm browsing the pink aisle, I usually wait for anyone else there to leave, especially if I need to parse through things to see if there's something I want. I haven't really had people say anything to me about it, except for one time when I was rifling through blind bags and someone said "You must have a little girl." I've even bought some pony toys while wearing a pony shirt (once with a group and once on my own), and no one said anything.

Most of the time I get gift receipts, and I've only ever had anyone ask who it was for once when I got my Build a Bear Sweetie Belle. I just gave her a blank look and said ........uhhhhhh, someone.....else. Turns out she liked ponies, too, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

Honestly, though, if a cashier tried to get smart with me about it, I know what to say to shut them up, so that's not really an issue.

So I'm not all that uncomfortable anymore about buying ponies, but I don't let people know that they're for me, since a lot of people don't know that there are guys who like ponies, and I don't want to be the one to explain it to them.

Honestly, I'm surprised that people will give women crap for buying ponies.  I mean, you'd expect women to like girly things, now wouldn't you?