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sounds like your "friend" has issues of her own- who is ridiculing her, that she takes it out on you?

my family (that i live wit anyway) are cool with it especially my dad, he has a huge collection of original starwars toys from when he was a kid, hell i got some G1 toys that were my dads. my girl friend refers to them sometimes as a waste of money and my mom says they are becoming my life. im cool with that because they are more than a hobby. yeah i have heard them called wastes of money thats about it.

Strange, I know, but my family actually encourages my collecting. Truth is, I'd outgrown Transformers since I hit 13. It was only during the 2007 movie craze, that TF's piqued y interest again. Still, I was too self conscious to buy a toy for myself as an adult.

And then my sister comes over and kept talking about how I used to be crazy about TF's back in the day, and basically eggs me on to buy one again. After being increasingly tempted from watching the movie and all the publicity pics, I decided to get Bumblebee, but everything Bayverse was sold out. I spied a Classics Mirage and Cliffjumper, and brought them home. As we all know, once that can of chips is opened, you'll never stop at one.

As for strange names, the worst I've ever heard was when a friend referred to TF's as "dolls." I was like WTF? Seriously?

I'm still a teen, which I guess is an acceptable age for collecting these... But then again but uncle collects TFs and Gundams too... and no one questions it... Everyone I know just calls them toys. I call them toys too...

As far as strange names go, my family hasn't called it anything more than Transformers, a hobby, or toys. And I'm rather happy about that.

I have always been a odd one so the family doesn't really think twice about my collecting. If anything it makes getting me gifts easier as I am very obvious about my interests.

And its always good to have friends (locally) that share your interests, I even have some friends that think all the stuff I collect is cool, but just dont commit like I do

Brother will sometimes refer to them as Action Dolls, just to try and aggravate me.

"Figurines"...interesting. Since '84 I've been a fan but I wouldn't consider my self a hardcore fan like most. I would say most hardcore fans have EVERYTHING Transformers but for me it's mostly figures. I'm married now (3yrs) with no kids (yet) and this hobby of ours still launches me into fantastic feeling. My old man refer's to it as all junk and I understand. He had a much harder life than mine and had very little being 1 of 8 brothers and 4 sisters so he couldn't understand the passion I hold for my hobby because he didn't have one of his own. My mother I don't think really payed too much attention but I think she may have found it silly over the years me still "playing with toys".

My other siblings know of my hobby and don't speak of it much but I think they too see me as a man that "plays with toys". My brother and I talk about it here and there but he can dig it considering his love for things Anime. My wife and mother-in-law occasionally rib me here and there calling them my "toys". Even though my wife I think wishes I would give it all up she know's about my passion both for her and my hobby. But my wife is the greatest though because for our anniversary she bought me G1 Overlord UK edition with box in good condition which was by no means a small thing for me.

"Figurines" though is different but better than called simply "toys" or "action figures". I personally refer to them as my "collectibles", old and new and that's that. I have my pride and dignity and wouldn't just openly share or discuss my hobby with just anyone to avoid looking like a total dork. And if I'm at the store and the checker is a young looking woman I will ask for a gift receipt to give the illusion.

People collect Hot Wheels, GI Joe, Star Wars, both men and woman. There are women and maybe men that collect Barbie's or stuffed animals but all are perceived by most as (technically) just toys. But no matter how others view our hobby or how you describe it, it belongs to you, and in the end that's all that matters...'nuff said!

Life's too short to spend with people who drain the fun out of it.

I don't really get slack from anyone, it's part of Asian pop culture and at the same time, it's something that I thoroughly enjoy, and put a ton of time into (customizing and collecting).

It's hard for me to even relate to people who take jabs at people who collect toys. It's our solace. It's our muse. It's more healthy and productive than smoking, gambling, drinking, being in a gang, etc.

in 2005 I was stationed in Kabul and my wife(girlfriend at the time) sent me a few armada figures she had got at a yard sale as a cheer me up(was a hard year.) the boys in my platoon sure didn't let me forget it......I was lieutenant prime for a while(got in dutch with my co to cause he heard them call me that, though I never saw the harm)....I sure do miss those guys sometimes.

edit: sorry I was stationed in Seoul in 2005 it was 2006 I started my tour in Afghanistan, so it was 2006 she sent them.