How can I go about buying pony merch without being ashamed

[TheMarkz0ne 962]

I was at my local toys r us yesterday and bought a princess celestia doll. The clerk was chuckling and snickering at me. I am thinking about getting my friend to buy them for me. Because I lmost cried leving the store over people making fun of me for buying MLP products

[hawkflame 3,310]

To me it's a case of mind over matter.  Just tell yourself, "it doesn't matter what they think.  Fuck them."  and then go in with your head held high.

[The Stranger 812]

How about you try ordering MLP merchandise over the internet? Go visit sites like Amazon or Ebay. The internet has many sites and communities you can buy pony merchandise from.

Edited January 23, 2013 by Photo Finish

[Shadow Chaser 633]

If you're that upset by it, just lie to them.  Tell them your little sister's birthday is coming up and she's a big fan of the show.  Just talk to people.  People who don't know anything about bronies are more open than you think.  I explained bronies and MLP to everyone who works at my local Starbucks a few months ago cuz they asked me about my Applejack jacket.  Explained the show, told them about how good of a cartoon it was, showed them some of my own art, and then I just left.  They laughed a little bit but you have to realize how outside the social norm a brony really is.  Don't think they're laughing at you, they're mostly uncomfortable that you can break a social norm and they need a way to deal with it.  And a little chuckle is just their way of doing that.  At least they're not openly mocking you.

[Flying Whales 311]

That's complete bs man. If you were that distrought over it; then like Photo Finish said up there, get them online, but if I were you I'd just ignore them. That's crap man and pretty unprofessional of the store clerks. Keep your head up and don't let those who don't understand impead you of being yourself. If I were you I'd actually continue to buy pony merchandise from that Toys 'R' Us and try my best to make that clerk feel uncomfortable. Like if he was snickering at you I'd say something along the lines of "oh, is there something funny here?" and just be real conforntational about it, but that's just me. I can get kind of spiteful.

[Agent153 50]

Well I would suggest buying your pony merch online, but if I was you I would buy the stuff in person. Forget what other people think cause their opinions shouldn't matter when you indulge in something you like. But then again it's all up too yo

[DATAIRSOFTBRONY 13]

i keep thinking of this problem myself. first i have to find something i want and then i try and figure out how i can buy it without anything happening. there are a couple of things in the store where i work and my fellow employees might say something. they will in good humor but they wont ever let me forget it. but i shouldnt have too much problem with it. i really dont care. just buy it and be happy about it. i would think if the clerk doesnt know you, it would be easier, with his busy job he will forget you soon enough.

[Sickman 205]

Ask yourself the question "Why should I be ashamed?"
Why's it such a the big deal to buy plastic toys from a department store?
I just don't get people sometimes.

[Awesome Dashie 30]

I really try to avoid buying things (Pony Stuff) at the Kmart in my town, mostly because it's a very small town and everypony knows everypony. So, in my case, I order my stuff online, or I've also given one of my friends ( a pegasister)  money to buy something for me.

Edited January 23, 2013 by Awesome Dashie

[Phoenix237 353]

Okay here is what you should do to make yourself feel more comfortable.

1) stay calm-

if you look uncomfortable then people will most likly notice you more then They should.

 

2) know what it is you are buying-

if you know ahead of time what you are going to buy then it won't look as strange when you walk in to buy merch

 

3) mix it up-

If you really feel uncomfortable then you could buy other things you may want or need that isn't pony related with your merchandise. For some reason people are less expected to notice or care (at least that's how it's been for me) when you by something pony related with other stuff.

 

4) quickness-

This is optional. If you feel uncomfortable pick and buy your merchandise quickly. However don't be too fast or you will attract attention

 

5) don't care-

This is an important one. Don't care what others think. If you are at a store, chances are no one there is someone you will recognize or meet againe anytime soon. When I buy stuff I don't care what other think because I don't know them. And chances are I won't ever see them again. And if I do see people againe, chances are they won't recognize me. A cashier sees lots of people a day, and unless you regularly shop at that store and go to that same person, chances are that person won't recognize you.

In short don't care what others think.

Edited January 23, 2013 by Phoenix237

[Haven Celestii 9,385]

>Walk in store

>Locate pony merch you want

>Grab it

>Proceed to check-out

>Ignore any sounds or what have you

>Pay for it

>Leave

>Enjoy new pony merch

#Likeaboss

 

Seriously, its not that hard to just ignore everything and go about your business.

If you have to, say its for your younger sister. Have your mom grab it for you or something. Get a friend thats a girl to grab it for you. Or a friend who doesn't care in general. There are a number of ways around that if you just have to go about it that way. Just gotta think.

[qqq 217]

Don't bother being ashamed. Go in and buy all the pony merch in the planet and screw the results. People are laughing because it is the main way the brain deals with shock and seeing a man buying pony merch is something people don't see daily.

[Lady Leopardess 393]

I would say either just decide that the opinions of other people don't matter. distract them with some other conversation while they scan your stuff. Some stores you can do self check out.

I know for the store I work at I tend to buy pony stuff from cashiers I think won't care as much/ I'm friends with.

 

The other option is , if Toys R US is the one store you can go to, try different cashiers , if you get a bad reaction out of one, don't go to that one next time, who knows there might be a brony there! 

[Hushabye 47]

You could always buy a gift bag and wrappings with it, that usually sends the message that the toy that your're buying is a gift for someone.

[TailsIsNotAlone 3,695]

I'm not ashamed anymore, especially at Hot Topic. Heck, there are displays of MLP stuff in there. You're the intended audience, so there's nothing to be ashamed of. xD 

In regular stories when you're buying the toys, it's a little different. Just buy some other stuff and put the toys underneath it, and if you're worried about the cashier use a self-checkout if the store has one. But I wouldn't worry much myself. I worked as a cashier for years and trust me, most of them don't care what you're buying. If they laugh at you, they're idiots who don't have enough work to do. ^^

[Harmonic Revelations 8,835]

I was at my local toys r us yesterday and bought a princess celestia doll. The clerk was chuckling and snickering at me. I am thinking about getting my friend to buy them for me. Because I lmost cried leving the store over people making fun of me for buying MLP products

I would have punched that clerk square in the face if he laughed at me. That would teach him. (Sorry I'm in one of my aggressive moods today).

 

On a more reasonable level you could just stick up for yourself.

[MLP Dazzleglow 56]

I was at my local toys r us yesterday and bought a princess celestia doll. The clerk was chuckling and snickering at me. I am thinking about getting my friend to buy them for me. Because I lmost cried leving the store over people making fun of me for buying MLP products

I had the same situation, and i was in my Military Army Combat Uniform when i was doing it. The clerk just snickered at me and started making fun of me.  My reply to him was as follows. "Well excuse me if i am open about what i like and don't like. Your life must be pretty shitty if you have to try and make someone else feel shitty." paid for my MLP toys and left.

[Dev 251]

Frankly, if the Cashier is going to humiliate you, I'd humiliate the crap out of them back. Ever heard the saying "The customer is always right"? I would just ask them in a loud voice "Why are you chuckling at me? Don't you want to get paid for the lousy job you already have"? or something like that. Frankly, people like that deserve everything they're about to get. And remember to always be confident as well. If you're struting around buying MLP crap with your head held high and sunglasses shining in the sunlight, really, it's hard to give a damn when that happens. But remember, make a really big deal out of it if someone chuckles at you, especially the cashier, because they deserve it

Edited January 23, 2013 by Dev

[FoxyCryptid 4,330]

How about you try ordering MLP merchandise over the internet? Go visit sites like Amazon or Ebay. The internet has many sites and communities you can buy pony merchandise from.

  

 

That route isn't worth it, you wind up spending 2-3 times, or more, what the stuff costs when you just go to the store and buy it off the shelf.

 

As for Mark, just ignore it, it was a one off thing, I've bought all kinds of pony stuff at the local Wal-Mart and never gotten any guff(I've even made small talk with the cashier about video games while doing it)

[SongBrony 419]

I just walk in with my head held high and start buying. Being a brony had taught me to not give any bucks about what others think of me for buying it. There were kids at my school who made fun of me for a Luna shirt I wore. I told them about the show and when they kept it up, I ignored them. They've left me alone since I don't react to it. What's even better is that two of them became bronies. Just ignore the haters and do what you want. Or buy online. That's what I did when I first became a brony. But over time I've decided to buck the haters and buy what I like.

[Alex0461 33]

I was at my local toys r us yesterday and bought a princess celestia doll. The clerk was chuckling and snickering at me. I am thinking about getting my friend to buy them for me. Because I lmost cried leving the store over people making fun of me for buying MLP products

Eh you'll never see that person again so their opinion doesn't matter. Besides how would they know who you were buying it for? Brony haters come with the territory and mostly the hate comes from ignorance and gender insecurity on their part, ignoring them is the best method for dealing with it. And don't be embarrassed about buying MLP merchandise, you're supporting something you love.

[Scootaloodle 1,622]

Don't pay attention to it, just forget the guy who laughed and remember he just dosen't get it.

 

My advice would be to ignore the world around you, don't think about the people who might diss or laugh. Just concentrate on the ponies and absorb your self in the fun of getting some aewsome new stuff, maybe even block out with your MP3 player and just enjoy yourself

[hawkflame 3,310]

Eh you'll never see that person again so their opinion doesn't matter. Besides how would they know who you were buying it for?

Exactly. In fact, I think most of the time people just assume that we're getting something for our kid sister or niece or whatever.

 

To the OP: Remember, mind over matter. Psyche yourself up and keep telling yourself over and over how awesome you are for being a brony and how the haters are idiots. If you keep doing that, you will begin to believe it, no matter how insecure you are. That way it's much easier to brush off whatever they lob at you.

[Yourmomsponies 444]

Every once in a while I get a chuckle at one of my shirts or something. And when people point and laugh I take it as a compliment.

Because they took their precious time out of their day to laugh at someone they don't even know. I find it funny how people will judge for no reason. It makes me laugh

 

What do you care if they laugh. You'll probably never see those Douche-nozzles again in your life. And if you do, they most likely won't even recognize you.

[HungryTroll 137]

At least you can buy them I have to order from UK.

 

I have only to things to say:

1) Buy more staff, after some time you'll get used to it, and after that proud. I know, I had the same situation with board games (It may seems strange but here was a stereotype that boardgames are for children. It's almost broken now, but then I've started it still was pretty solid)

2) Do not mind, yes it's not easy to do as it easy to say, but think about it - they think that you doing something wrong, but do you yourself think that it's wrong? I dont think so, so why are you ashaimed? It's theirs mistake not yours.