The Energon Pub

Well I am the age where I am considered 'too old' to play with toys. So it kind of feels wierd for me to be in the toys section at Target or Walmart browising TF toys. I look around to make sure I dont see people i know, etc.

Anyone else go through with this? or is it just me?

I sometimes feel embarrassed, but then i remember that im bigger than most people and would knock the teeth outta anybody who would criticize my hobby.

I'm 18 and I have no shame whatsoever. I have a stupid grin when I am looking at the toys, and I don't bother to wipe it off whatsoever.

I know I do reasonably well at university, that I'm fit and healthy, and I have friends, that what I study is meaningful and life-long (philosophy/religion). This is enough for me, who gives a darn bout what people see about you: "Oooh he's looking at toys, what a loser!" Big deal man. 6 billion people in the world, there's bound to be some who are judgmental and assume heaps of things about you that are completely unjustifies. It's all about what you know about yourself that is important.

If you are a fan of transformers, sing it out to the world! The first time I decided to start a new hobby (2 months ago) I made it clear to my mates that my new hobby was collecting Transformers toys. One of them pays me out a lot about it, but I think he would rather have toys than NOT have toys, seeing that he's a Transformers fan too. I think he just hasn't come out of the closet yet. I joke a lot about myself being a 'nerd', but I am, if you mean nerd as in someone who is passionate about certain things... hell yeah, I'm a nerd in just about everything I do.

In the end you are the real winner cuz you got the toys and the fun, so don't be embarrassed. Transformers aren't the problem, nor are other people. Generally it's your own perception about yourself and what one 'should' do that is the problem.

I use to, maybe a little bit, but not anymore. I'm getting old now (26, haha), so I'm getting to the point where I do what I want when I want and don't give a crap about what someone thinks im spending my well earned cash on.

Also, if anyone has a problem with what I collect, I'm sure I could find something out about them that I think is ridiculous!

Though what I do love is having my girlfriend with me, and she ends up scouring the shelves looking for what I want (Damn you '08 Bumblebee, where art tho!)

I don't have a girlfriend and I don't want one, which will easily fit me in the 'obsession' with non-human things (such as philosophy/religion/transformers). But the way I see it, Transformers themselves aren't meant to be human anyway!

That's right, I like Transformers as much as my studies.

I just turned 22 and I got back into colelcting about 2 and a half years ago. When I first started again I was a bit embarassed, but now TBH I could care less of others opinions.

I'm 27 and have no problem at all being in the toys section. I love it!!! I could care less what others think when I'm standing over all the TF toys looking through to find the one with the best paint job. No one should feel "too old". No ones too old for toys. They keep me feeling young and happy. Don't let things get to ya. You're your own person and shouldn't care what other ppl think. As long as your happy, that's all that matters!

I'm 29 and I could care less what people think. No one ever talks to me anyway because I always walk around with my angry face on

You certainly look angry enough with your current avatar man are you a MMA junkie? I also practice Karate as a hobby. I used to do boxing for short while.

Prime's melee combat skillz in the Movie was fantabulous.

I'd rather spend the money on a 'bot or a astromech (I straddle two obsessions, thus my wallet and shelf space suffer, and that doesn't include movies or books), then I would on killing a massive amount of brain cells in a bar.

Screw the embarressment. People have become too nosy these days. So let them make petty judgements. Because when ya get home with your new acquisition, or thoughts on a future one, you'll not even care.

Raymond101 wrote:You certainly look angry enough with your current avatar man are you a MMA junkie? I also practice Karate as a hobby. I used to do boxing for short while.

Prime's melee combat skillz in the Movie was fantabulous.

I am a huge MMA fan. I don't do a whole lot, a little jiu-jitsu but mostly boxing.

I never felt that embarassment with TF because when I got back into them I was to old to care anymore.

I think that embarassment is more of a teen thing. You're at an age where you believe that you should be doing adult things and because of that you feel judged. Real adults though do what they want and don't care what the petty people around them think. Like my grandmother and her stupid comments about me needing to grow up. I have to say I loved waving the Dallas Morning News article in her face last week. But she is the only one that gives me greif everyone else could careless.

I also learned by working a few retail cash registers over the years that I really don't care what people buy. Nor to most cashiers. They just want to ring you up and move on so they can get paid and go home.

Me? Embarrassed?

with my good looks and shining personality?

no.

JTKranix wrote:

Raymond101 wrote:You certainly look angry enough with your current avatar man are you a MMA junkie? I also practice Karate as a hobby. I used to do boxing for short while.

Prime's melee combat skillz in the Movie was fantabulous.

I am a huge MMA fan. I don't do a whole lot, a little jiu-jitsu but mostly boxing.

Fair deal.

I think people shouldn't be so judgemental. I have paid the price for my own unfounded suppositions and assumptions many times in the past. I hope I have been improving.

And I assume that Transformers are cool, so there...

Well, I'm kind of lucky, in that I'm only going getting back into it now, and the movie's helping to make that a bit more socially acceptable. Heck, when I bought my Unleashed Bumblebee, I got into a conversation with the checkout guy about the movie, and he knew all the characters' names (even Decepticons, whose names are easy to miss if you're not obsessed).

Still not quite sure what sort of reaction I'll get when I move to some of the "kiddier" Bumblebee movie merchandise (eg. Cyber Slammer, Cyber Stompin'), but I'll handle it. Hey, it's what you learn to do for what you love. I've gotten loads of practice at it while buying TMNT and Pokemon DVDs.

I don't give a petrorabbit's @$$ what they think.

But, thankfully, most people love my collection. But I do not know any collectors in my area, sad to say.

I am 26 now and I dont give a ****!! Never have never will. Some of the parents give me wierd looks but honestly i've seen lots of guys about my age in those aisle's and they are looking at the same things as I am. We just kinda exchange knowing smiles and its all good, man.

Its gotten more rewarding for me now because my son is getting to the age where he is growing out of baby toys and is becoming interested in my toys. Nothing is better than sharing one of your loves with your children!!

Just yesterday i got busted by my mates wife and son at Toyworld shopping for Transformers and i told them what i was there for to and i tell ya, i dont care what anybody thinks, its always fun shopping for Transformers figures and my mates love my collection when they come around and stuff.

I'm 37, and I decided to collect just a few of the toys. And I decided to go for the big ones. Leader and the Ultimate class. Although, I purchased them from Amazon, so no embarrassment there, but I doubt I would be had I bought them at a physical store. I am just that kind of a person. I even pre-ordered the Ultimate Bumblebee. These should look good in my home office.

Today I was at WalMart looking for a few essential things and I told my wife "let's go check out the toy section, I want to see what they have in the Transformers' line!" As soon as I got there everyone heard my disappointment! LOL! I called the store lame. Just one measly section with a few toys.

Every one has a vice, or hobby that they spend their disposable income on.

It is only the people that condone this sort of prejudice that are the ones that should be embarrassed, I am sure your local Wal-Mart employee throws their cash out for liquor
and cigarettes, these are things that are not something that you can keep but are finite.

Also, I am very large as well and no one says anything to me.

why embarass, it's not like we're buying pornographic materials. but i think i do get more embarassed buying fhm or playboy magazines which i never have the guts to pay it in front of the cashier especially if that person is a female. buying tf toys in toysrus, i usually get the looks which made me feel uncomfortable, hey why not, most adults buy toys aren't for themselves but for the kids, so i pretend in my mind to buy them for kids as well, so i will look natural. now i prefer to pick up my tf toys in my local comic toy stores that has huge selection of japanese tf toys. the sellers are aiming to sell them to real serious toy collectors. so i don't get embarassed, i just say i would like to pick up a binatech and a dvd prime please.

I used to worry about it. Especially when I would find a large wave of new stuff all at once. It's a rare clerk that won't give you (at least) a smug look when you're dropped a few hundred dollars on Transformers at one time.

But I don't worry anymore. I moved to Japan, a country where most people of my age (and much older) regularly buy toys. The market exploits this with ultra high class toys and collectables. These days, I can drop the equivilent of 1,000 USD at a toystore and get nothing more than a smile from the cashier.

Nah, I'm never embarrassed about my Transformers. They bring me so much happiness that I really don't care what anybody else thinks.

Professor Smooth wrote:I used to worry about it. Especially when I would find a large wave of new stuff all at once. It's a rare clerk that won't give you (at least) a smug look when you're dropped a few hundred dollars on Transformers at one time.

But I don't worry anymore. I moved to Japan, a country where most people of my age (and much older) regularly buy toys. The market exploits this with ultra high class toys and collectables. These days, I can drop the equivilent of 1,000 USD at a toystore and get nothing more than a smile from the cashier.

Kampai to that, Prof.

I miss those days...days of overprices Yamato Valks that break when you look at them, TF Takara re-issues at reasonable prices...but, seriously...where the heck do you put them?

As you know, space is at a premium there in lovely Japan...

YouFearGalvatron wrote:
Kampai to that, Prof.

I miss those days...days of overprices Yamato Valks that break when you look at them, TF Takara re-issues at reasonable prices...but, seriously...where the heck do you put them?

As you know, space is at a premium there in lovely Japan...

Kampai! You just need to get away from Tokyo and Osaka and the space problem becomes much less. You get a decent sized apartment in Fukuoka or Kitakyshu for well under go mon or roku mon per month.

Fukuoka, btw, is about as close to paradise as I can imagine.