How do you go and buy Pony Merch in the store without everyone looking at you?

[Nightmare Night 151]

Its a little easier for me (I work at Wal-Mart) but I do receive some weird looks and comments from time to time. In my experience its best to just ignore them and throw on a smile. I don't let what others say bother me, I mean come on, I wear a MLP hoodie covered in MLP buttons and a MLP lanyard hanging out of my pocket. If I can wear all that and feel fine then nothing they can say can hurt me. Sometimes I even play some MLP inspired music to where everyone can hear it.

 

I recommend going on third shift around 1am-6am there's almost no customers for me at those times just stockers. If you truly want to avoid weird looks.

Edited November 6, 2013 by Nightmare Night

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

I don't give a monkey's toss who looks at me. XD But if you do get bothered, then try this handy hint: Pretend that it's your daughter/sister/female cousin that you're buying the ponies for. To hammer the point home, if there's any mothers who are buying the toys for their daughters, approach and say, in a lost kind of way, "Um, little girls like these, don't they? I need to get my daughter/sister/female cousin a present" and you're good to go.

[*Rarity 123]

Uhm, yeah... If anyone went to a "normal" store and bought sex toys, then you know buying MLP stuff is NOTHING in comparison. We have a store called Teknikmagasinet, which sells everything from phones, computer parts, funny gadgets, to sex toys. I've bought sex toys there, both for myself and for others who were to embarrased to go there. IT WAS REALLY AWFUL.... Like really. Euh, going to the girl section with MLP is like. Eaaasy man, after you've bought sex toys at a place like that. The cashiers face when you point at the thing in the catalogue:  

[Shawn Parks 1,798]

I refuse to lend my custom to Target or Walmart, 

 

You ... what?

 

From the context of this sentence, it sounds like you are saying that you refuse to shop at those stores.  But I have never heard anyone use that phrase before.  Does it have something to do with the word "customer?"

[lardbobobo 1,591]

Here's how you go in there and buy the pony merch without anyone looking at you! This will make sure that nobody will want to look at you as you buy the merch! First you rip off all of your clothes and make sure that your genitals are 100% visible and make sure that they look extra disgusting for added effect! A dirty buttcrack will also make people run for the hills.

[Vertigo_95 572]

The closest toy store I live near,  I go in there and just grab what I want and purchase it without being questioned. I have yet to buy anything from Target or Walmart, but I will soon.....

[Frith is Magick 1,471]

I have never heard anyone use that phrase before.  Does it have something to do with the word "customer?"

Pretty much. I like to use obscure and semi-archaic phrases on occasion. Long story short, I have no interest in spending even a penny at either Walmart or Target.

 

 

! First you rip off all of your clothes

No shirt, no shoes, no service. Fortunately, the rule says nothing about pants. You also have to be noisy, it will make people more desperate to not notice. It would be most befitting to sing in the most offensive manner that lies within your proficiency, preferably a drunken ditty, profane poesy, lusty lay, or even release the raunchiest recital ready to your reckoning.

 

Or you can go in and buy it like it's no big deal.

Edited November 7, 2013 by Frith is Magik

[Sweet Dreams 1,893]

Oh Look Pinkie Pie! I love Pinkie Pie!

And they're Moms are like

Oh right, yeah she's the blue one right?

 

For some reason she thinks that Pinkie Pie is blue. Goodness, people are dumb these days.

And, I would suggest picking up a girls birthday card before you go to the toy section if you're shy about it. People will think you're buying the toys as a gift.

[GrimCW 658]

The same way I do anything...

Even was right behind a kid and her parents when I got my first build-a-bear Ponies

 

Just let it all go.. 

Someone gave me advice on such things as buying stuff for your GF/BF that would normally be embarrassing long long ago.

Chances are you'll never see these people again, and if they don't already know you, probably never will.

 

So why care what they think of you? 

Even if you did know them and they made remarks, they probably aren't friend material anyways IMO.

 

I know I've gotten some odd looks even in Hot Topic since they have the pony stuff jammed into the windows lately. But that never stops me, and the clerks usually have some crazy suggestions of extras to grab during the sales. One place I never even get a tinge of "Awkward" is that place for some reason.... regardless of what passersby and other customers are crooning on about.

Edited November 23, 2013 by GrimCW

[Doc. Volt 2,561]

actualy... in a shop in my city.. they asked me to work here... cause i wanted a plushie... i ended selling toys to all the little girls here... mums mistaking ponies.. if one is called PINKIE pie how in hell would you think it is the orange one??? also i was like.. you see? this is the element of laughter, on the episode etc etc etc.. theyr mum was just surprised... time faded away.. i stayed in the shop for around one hour.. the guy at the counter gifted me a Pinkie plushie... cause i've made him sell more than twenty plushies... so he asked me to stay and work here (since he doesn't understand a thing) unluckily i had to refuse.. i have another job and university but it would have been fun

[Moonlight 7,279]

I walk in usually sporting a pony shirt and Derpy Hooves jacket, grab the pony merch I want, pay and then leave. I could care less if people want to stare. It isn't my problem and they really need to mind their own damn business.

[Powderpuff 390]

I feel like a lot of cashiers have already heard the "it's for my sister/niece/daughter/etc." excuse. If you're too nervous to admit to it, then I think a better excuse would be "it's for my brother/friend/etc. that's into this pony thing but is too embarrassed to buy it himself."

[AfTeRwArDs 509]

Well see, what I do is, I buy the stuff and then go on my merry way. Simple as that. Who cares what people think, amirite?

[Appetite4Democracy 451]

Sacrifice them to Satan

 

Just be chill.

 

Something I've seen: Get a bunch of merch at a time, along with some gift wrap or something, so they'll just be like "Oh, he's buying someone a gift"

[Dark Horn 430]

I just go in, pick up what I want and check out. Once, I encountered a random cute pegasister at Wal-Mart in a Derpy Hooves shirt and gave her a brohoof. Interestingly, in real life, I have never met a male brony in real life that I know of.

[GhostPony750 958]

All you need to do is dress up in a weird way, start dancing and acting weird in the pink alley and pick up your pony merchandise doing weird sounds.

This way, the people won't look at you. (This is a great technique if you want to pickpocket lol.)

 

But of course, I'm too shy to do that, I usually start to blush and shy away.

[Harmony And Rarity 195]

http://www.ebay.com/‎

Lol, I try to make no contact to civilization.

They don't know about mah poniez

[GrauWitz 1,010]

I just say "Its my little sister's birthday" and I get my merch with no problems

 

Here's how you go in there and buy the pony merch without anyone looking at you! This will make sure that nobody will want to look at you as you buy the merch! First you rip off all of your clothes and make sure that your genitals are 100% visible and make sure that they look extra disgusting for added effect! A dirty buttcrack will also make people run for the hills.

Edited November 26, 2013 by Master of Antics

[Neon Fire 473]

Well, being a girl, I don't think I'd get as many weird looks, and luckily I haven't had situations like that.  Although because of my stubborn pride of being a tomboy, I refuse to let anyone see me buying anything girly or in the girl isle.  XD  I haven't bought that much pony merch, but I went to toysrus one day and got a pack of figures, luckily there wasn't really anyone there since it was a week day lol.  And a lot of times too, I'll just get stuff on amazon or ebay...  Stuff online.

[lighting flash 207]

I never bought any pony toy and I highly doubt I ever will. (Just because I don't want them) But I would buy whatever I want to buy and leave. But if that's kind of hard, just buy a birthday card with it.

[John 793]

You see I've had this problem for quite a while. Being a Collector, I buy a LOT of Pony Merch. It's okay in Hottopic, because I usually meet a lot of other brony friends there, so It doesn't really matter. However at Target and Walmart and Kmart, I get the Look:

 

Especially with the little girls also buying stuff, and they're saying:

Oh Look Pinkie Pie! I love Pinkie Pie!

And they're Moms are like

Oh right, yeah she's the blue one right?

And then I say (Out of habit)

No that's Rainbow Dash, Y'know, the one with Rainbow hair?

And that's When this happens

 

 < The Mom   < The Kid          < And me...      

 

Then I run to the counter.

 

Any suggestions of how to tackle this better?

 

Well, I personally have never bought any merch...  (Then everyone would know, and most of the stuff made by Hasbro sucks anyway)

 

But if I HAD to...

 

Figure out the time of the day that the store is least likely to be populated (some stores are open throughout the night).  Then when you find a good time-window, stealth your way in, grab what you want, get a bunch of other random stuff you need and head for the closest female cashier you can find.  Be sure to get bags on your way out.  If anyone asks, just say you're buying gifts for your niece.

 

Sorry but how hard is the above suggestion?  People post things similar to what you've said a lot and we generally always give them the same approach.  There's really no way around it.  Ordering online is probably the best way to go if you hate getting "looks."

 

 

Just don't end up pulling something off like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEWe13edax4

Edited November 26, 2013 by John

[Aisling Ink 195]

I usually buy stuff online but sometime, when I go to a big supermarket, I check out the toys section to look for ponies. I usually don't buy anything because I find it cheaper on amazon or ebay plus I'm a girl so I don't think people mind.

 

it's a teeny-tiny more embarrassing when I go to the news-stand to buy sticker album or blind bags but the cashier has known me for years so who cares.

 

I usually get way too hyped to even feel embarrassed, like when I found my my little pony funko toys at a fair. 

[Scootaloodle 1,621]

Dress up in cosplay as your faverite pony: walk into the store with a boom box and blast out the MLP FIM theme song at full blast and then pick up the merch you want and go "I LOVE PONIES"

 

Jokes aside

 

If your trying to avoid attention then just keep down the temptation to correct the mothers getting the names wrong lol

 

And if there's tons of people surrounding the pony aisle then maybe think of something other the shop sells that you might want to look at and come back to the merch when it's cooled down, but aside from that I wouldn't expect anyone to pay any attention.

 

Simply go in, pick up the toy you want and go pay for it

[GrimCW 658]

Its that season again now.

So it should be easier than ever. Just walk in, get what you want, and walk out.

Anyone asks say its for someone else (they won't know) if you must.

 

TBH, still think theres no reason to be scared of what others think, but I guess its just ingrained into some people that societies decisions for us are "best" and as such should be followed... but meh.

[Dark Dawn 24]

I make people bring my ponies to me!  MWAHAHHAHAHHA!  

 

To be perfectly honest, I haven't gotten anything yet.  I will be ordering some shirts though... we'll see if I ever go to a store.  I've never been embarrassed about purchasing anything before, so I honestly haven't really thought about it.  I suppose the first time will be a little strange.