Proud or ashamed when buying pony merch?

I mean as it would be a great way to announce myself to world as a brony. I'm still very much a closet brony.

 

Just makes me cringe really. Makes me wish there were more guys like that older gent that tried to set me up with his nephew. At least he's open minded unlike a lot of the older 'anti Homo' generations. Because I don't acknoweledge gender/sexuality as much of an importance, I think people reacting well to gals buying pony merch when their older compared to reacting negatively to guys buying pony merch when their older just downright irritates me. It's not even a big deal to anyone but you and other people who think the same ignorance as you. Just get over it.

 

My point is though, what does it matter? Who cares? I mean if you're wearing a shirt to find people with the same interests, that's one thing. If it because no one knows, that's not a very good reason because it doesn't matter if people know or not. People are going to judge others no matter what you do. It's everyone's job not to give a damn because really, who cares?

 

If only people kept their ignorant opinion to themselves. We live an a world with people who have to let you know what you are doing isn't normal in their view. Its sad really. I don't give an opinion on anyone elses shopping, so we should expect the same in return.

 

I also regularly wear a pony T-shirt when I am out in public, so I am comfortable with buying pony merchandise. I also like wearing nail polish every now and then (I am a guy), so it isn't like I am a slave of public opinion in the first place.

 

I wore a Derpy Hooves T-shirt to school, and got a lot of random bad comments about it, but I didn't care the least bit. Just think about it this way: Do you want to be a slave to public opinion, or do you want to be free forever?

 

One of my sleep-shirts is the Fluttershy "yay" shirt. I've also got some brushables and molded ponies at home. I have a pair of plushes here in my dorm. My roommates and friends are way too cool to care.

 

My family usually wont leave me alone when I wear my Lyra shirt. So, pretty uncomfortable.

 

Other than the few things I've bought online, all of the pony merch I buy is for my niece, so I didn't feel weird at all.
I honestly don't know if I would behave different if I was buying it for myself.

 

I have no problem with buying pony merch. Never got any unusual looks about buying pony merch. I usually buy at Muller (store), and they usually react to someone buying pony merch same way as someone would buy a chocolate bar (that means completely neutral).
Even so, in Muller store where I go most often (one on Zagreb's main city square), cashiers already know me and tell me when I come if something new from pony merch has came.

 

Cards are merch, right? Yep, I believe so. I went up to this cashier at Walmart and said "Where do y'all keep the my little pony cards?" Trying to sound like AJ. She looked at me funny. I said "Just do your job and tell me where the god dang cards are!" She told me xD I went there and had a chat with a kid who was buying Pokemon cards and explained to him what a brony was. He asked why I was buying MLP cards. I told him I liked the show and dang, you should've seen his face. All I can say is thank Celestia for self checkouts XP

 

I wouldn't call myself a closet brony, but I wouldn't go around shouting my fandom to the world. I've only ever bought a single pony item at Walmart. It was around 10:00 PM so there weren't that many people there gawk or scoff at me. I did get a few stares though, which made me feel a little weird.

 

I don't have much pony merch, the majority of my collection being t-shirts purchased online, but I do like to parooz the shelves to see what's out there. For sometime I was embarrassed about it, sneaking through the aisle on my way to the garden section, as long as no one was there, to take a quick look. While shopping for my nephew's birthday some time later though, I found myself wondering why I wasn't uncomfortable browsing shelves of G.I. Joes and Ninja Turtles. I'm sure a bit of it was the typical gender thing (though an adult, I'm a boy, and these are the things "acceptable" for boys and all that), the majority was projection however. I knew I was shopping for my nephews, so assumed everyone else who saw me knew it as well. Afterwords it never really bothered me again, expecting people to think I was just shopping for someone else, as long as I didn't make it too obvious. It's a bit of a delusion sure, and I wish I had the guts to openly be myself like some bronies out there, but I'm content to browse in peace. And I feel confident that if something caught my eye, I could buy it without feeling all awkward .... still can't bring myself to wear the t-shirts in public though.

 

Kind of neither, at this point. I was definitely ashamed the first time I ever walked up to the register at Target with a bunch of pony figurines - the kid who rang me up did kind of give me a thinly veiled look of amusement. But I've since come to realize that even if people are judging me, why should I care? Not like they can do anything to stop me. Plus, they're just strangers; never gonna see half of them again, ergo their opinions about me carry no weight with me whatsoever.

So, while I don't necessarily bring MLP merch to the register with pride, per se, I do it with look of "Problem?" plastered across my face. Whatever works!

 

I've only gone out and bought two shirts and Equestria Girls, however I bought both Season 1 and Season 2 online.

 

I think we should be proud that we are so passionate about something!

I just smile like an idiot when buying merch tehe!

 

I used to care about buying pony stuff, mostly when I first started getting into the show. I remember scoping out the toy aisle, making sure no one else was there. I had a little sheet of paper with the blind bag codes that I needed so I could get in and out with minimal social interaction. Now I just march right up to the big pink aisle and peruse without much of an issue. I feel a little embarrassed still, but no where near what I used to.

I can certainly understand the apprehension; I'm a couple months from hitting 30, and as guy, alone, I'm sure it looks skeezy to the average joe with pony merch in my hands.

 

I've never had the chance to buy pony merch *sniff sniff* Although if I did it'd probably be three to four towns away from me while wearing shades, a hoodie, and a hat. I don't care for people outside of my town to know how much of a brony I am, pretty much all of my university friends know about it. It's just wear I live ... is deep in the sticks ... a lot of let's say stubborn people. My family is mostly comprised of racist, prejudice, insensitive, egotistical ... "people" ... There might be one or two people in my family who would be understandable and accepting about me being a brony. So I'll just wait till I move far far away, post it all over facebook to laugh in their faces and never talk to them again ^^

Anyway, I'm not into the whole figurine thing. I might get some clothing, the dog tags that are out look pretty cool, and maybe one plushie (or a few). To be honest I'd only get the stuff of my favorite ponies. Vinyl Scratch, Octavia Melody, Rainbow Dash, and Derpy Hooves.

 

I've actually had a good experience when buying pony merchandise, I often find that people are either bronies, or they ask questions about the fandom. My grandma was hesitant of me liking My Little Pony Friendship is Magic since I'm an adult, but I was a MLP fan as a child and my grandma is used to me being an odd one, but she's been very supportive of my interests. My Mom was much more judgmental at first, she thought it was the weirdest fandom I've been in and would sometimes tease me. But then I had her sit, watch some episodes, help me make my pony merchandise and talk to some of my brony friends and now she's totally supportive with it. My best friend doesn't care I'm a brony and he's totally cool and supportive of it even though he's not a fan. He did however get uncomfortable when his daughter told him that her friend was into clopping. He asked me alot of questions about that and what that mean't and if he should worry. I basically told him that all fandoms have a sexual element to them, it's not a major part of the fandom, but it does exist and not to worry.