The Energon Pub

This is a question that I really like to know from other transformers collectors.

From my own experience I never felt embarrassed while buying them in retail stores before the 2007 movie came out. After the 2007 TF movie came out, and the TF craze started all over again, a lot of kids are getting into TFs again. That's about the time that I feel embarrassed when checking out the TF section and there's always kids there. This is why I either resort to online buying or check out the stores early or late at night. Anyone else have the same experience?

I destroy kids that get in my way at the stores!!!!!!!

j/k I don't get embarassed. I'm a collector. I love TransFormers and always have. I am on a mission to collect all the TF's that appear in the movies. It doesn't matter to me if I'm in the toy aisle at the stores or not.

What you are soon about to see is a bunch of tough guy stories about how some narrow minded store clerk said something offensive to a TF purchasing d00d who then put said clerk in his place with righteous indignation over the insult.

There will be fame, glory, and punch served.

But to answer your question? No.

I understand why some people might feel embarrassed, but beind self-concious in negative ways is unproductive. It's tougher for teens because their groups of friends are usually judgemental douchebags resulting from a lack of experience in life.

But hey, buying toys is better than getting goth-served.

I learnt not to give a toss what people think of me.

So i'm walking around a store with Transformers. So what? How do people know i'm buying them for myself? Just because i'm fat and ugly and scare little kids (true story) doesn't mean i'm not buying them for my own kid.

Which I don't have anyway, though i've got a nephew who's always trying to steal my TF's. Point is though, it's your hobby, don't give a toss what other people think of it. If they look at you weirdly, smile and say hi! (It totally freaks them out)

you should try caring less about what other people think and more about what makes you happy

if you like transformers, then buy them.

Only time I feel silly is when I'm digging thru the racks, looking for that particular one or comparing the same figure to another to make sure I'm getting a good one. Cuz then it's quite evident I'm buying it for me to play with.

Otherwise if I see one, grab it and go, people might just assume I have a kid of my own or something. Of course, it never hurts when I "borrow" my sister's kids to go along with me to check stuff out. *Edit-BTW, this works for getting cute girls to smile at you as well!*

To answer the OP: "Nope!"

It's just my business and I'm more concerned about what's on the shelves than what other people think. It's great for spotting hot moms/aunts/older sisters/grandmas(I don't hate or discriminate).

I also get a kick out of the wonder kids have of Transformers. The RotF Supreme Devastators arrived at the local WM just recently. A kid was looking at it and I told him about the sound effects and how I thought it was a really cool figure. He then starts to go bonkers over it, trying to pick it up but failing. He told his mom how cool it was and how it wasn't even able to fit on a shelf. She wasn't amused by the $100 price tag. I made a quick exit out of the action figure section just to avoid a "But he says it's cool!" situation.

I also love going with my nephews and nieces toy shopping. My brothers and sisters in law hate me for my encouragement but I love being the goofball uncle who know the best toys for them to get. I also give the kids good arguments to use with their parents to convince them to make the purchase.

Burn wrote:I learnt not to give a toss what people think of me.

So i'm walking around a store with Transformers. So what? How do people know i'm buying them for myself? Just because i'm fat and ugly and scare little kids (true story) doesn't mean i'm not buying them for my own kid.

Which I don't have anyway, though i've got a nephew who's always trying to steal my TF's. Point is though, it's your hobby, don't give a toss what other people think of it. If they look at you weirdly, smile and say hi! (It totally freaks them out)

I know what you mean. Sometimes I get some werid eyes from parents of little kids when I'm looking at the TF section in the toy asile, but not as bad as when I'm in TRU though.

Depends on the time, situation and place. At my local model kit/collector's store, it's the kids who should beware of mockery.

While I'm never one to harass a child, some other customers might make a passing remark like, "You sure your dad's gonna pay for that, son? It's two hundred bucks apiece."

Alas, the tables are turned at Toys R Us. Well, not actually. Most parents think I'm one myself. In fact, one father actually started chatting with me, jokingly cursing the "axis of evil" that is Hasbro and Mattel, as his son scrounged around the shelves for an ROTF figure.

Until recently, I've been using the "pretend cellphone" technique, where you put your cell to your ear and pretend to ask your non-existent brother/nephew/son what he wanted you to get for him. Explains everything without explaining anything. It's almost poetic

I'm young looking,(My parents still make me order from the kids menu, even though I'm well over the age limit.) so it usually looks okay. However, I still get embaressed from time to time, usually when there are 7 year old in the aisle.

I ain't embarrassed at all. Of course I don't do much retail shopping these days what with all the ROTF figs turning me off. If anyone on staff asks me, 9 times out of 10 I say I'm a collector, the other time though they say it with disdain that I'd rther not force a confrontation, so I say it's a present for a neice or nephew and watch them try to apologize for the tone in their voice.

Absolutely I've been embarrassed but never ashamed, and you couldn't tell it for looking!

I stroll through the isles like I own the place (benevolent dictator of course ) I pick through every shelf, occasionally mention product faults to people ("You shouldn't get that one, it's been repackaged." has come up alot lately >_>) and have no qualms with going to the check out holding armfuls of toys. I try and do it all with some measure of confidence because it seems like people give you less grief when you do things with confidence (and I guess it works because I have never gotten more than a strange look or two in my 19 years of collecting).

If you want a strategy though then you should take along a female friend because when your out in public people usually assume your dating and no matter how big of a dork you might look buying toys no one has any verbal ammo if you have a girl with you .

Only when I forget to wear pants.

Good one devs.

DevastaTTor wrote:Only when I forget to wear pants.

That happen often?

I guess slightly when I realize I'm wearing a TF shirt while I'm there...otherwise they don't even suspect that it's for me most of the time. They always ask if I want a gift receipt, but I say no so I guess I give myself away. I don't really care anymore.

People constantly stare at me, I've been described as looking like an ogre and a vampire. So buying transformers is no different than buying milk to me.

Evil_the_Nub wrote:People constantly stare at me, I've been described as looking like an ogre and a vampire. So buying transformers is no different than buying milk to me.

An ogre-vampire buying Transformers isn't so odd.

An ogre-vampire buying milk is madness!

Madness!

SKYWARPED_128 wrote: Until recently, I've been using the "pretend cellphone" technique, where you put your cell to your ear and pretend to ask your non-existent brother/nephew/son what he wanted you to get for him. Explains everything without explaining anything. It's almost poetic

Soldier of Shockwave wrote:If you want a strategy though then you should take along a female friend because when your out in public people usually assume your dating and no matter how big of a dork you might look buying toys no one has any verbal ammo if you have a girl with you .

These 2 are pretty sweet strategies, I guess I'll try it sometimes.

Walking around stores with transformers doesn't bother me at all. occasionally, a few random shoppers around my age group catch me randomly walking through the transformer isle, but they don't make a deal out of it.

I can never see something as an embarrassment if you take a liking to it. If anyone does happen to laugh or send a expression my way, they probably do so because they lack the esteem to enjoy things in life they want to, and follow their "crowd" of friends to fit in and look cool.

The only times I've been embarrassed is when I happen to be wearing a TF t-shirt when I've got Transformers in my hands, walking to the register.

Should I be embarrassed in this situation? Perhaps not, but for whatever reason I feel like I'm overdoing things a little, in that moment when I have a TF shirt on, and I have an armful of Transformers.

Ya.
Hell, I'm embarrassed about everything I buy.
Transformers, Bionicles.
Hell again, I'm even embarrassed to ask my mom to give me my allowence to buy something.

When I ponder the OP's question, caring about what other people think doesn't even enter into it. True embarrassment is more of an involuntary thing, a momentary feeling. It's not about "ooh, I hope those people over there don't think I'm a nerd!", it's just a reflex in certain situations, be it squeezing one off in a crowded elevator, or tripping in the dark theatre while you're scrambling to get to the bathroom. It has nothing to do with what people might think of you.

Are there people who gauge their reality and/or self worth by what other people think about them? Sure. But it's not the same thing.

On a side note, some people just don't like being noticed, regardless of what they're doing.

Do I feel embarassed by buying TF's? Good question.

Usually when I am looking through the toy aisle I do feel a twinge of embarassment. However, that does not stop me from looking through the toy aisle. My happyiness with a new toy far exceeds that little embarassment.

I have never had anyone make any rude comments to me about buying TFs. Of course being a 6 foot, 200lb, weight lifting, bald guy with tattoos doesn't hurt either. If end up talking to an employee they are usually commenting on the ones they like or dislike. As long as you are polite most people are polite back.

I love being able to help people with their choices. Parents in the aisle without the kid there are my favorite. They are dreading making the wrong purchase and it is nice to be able to help.

I love my hobby and will not allow others to get in the way.

and I usually wear pants while shopping.

Only when I'm trying to flirt with some young mom who's there buying TFs for her kid while I'm there buying them for myself.

Last weekend I was in Walmart, where usually the girls are mostly trashy, but there looking at TFs was this really really cute girl, probably about my age - early 30's - maybe a late 20's. She was going to buy a TF for her son as a First-Day-of-Kindergarten present. How cute is that? I was helping her pick out a good one, we were chatting, she was VERY friendly, I was hoping she was a single mom... then I notice the ring (of course), and she pulls out her cell phone to call her husband. At that moment I was a little embarrassed. Here I am, a 34 year old guy, shopping for Transformers for myself, and trying to hit on a married woman buying Transformers for her kid.

Another time, I was at TRU looking at TFs for myself, and I ran into a girl who happened to be a bartender that I had met the night before. And I already knew from talking to her the previous night that she was my age, grew up in the same area and went to a nearby high school, and MOST IMPORTANTLY: she was single. But again, she was there buying something for her young daughter, while I was there looking at TFs for myself. I felt kind of silly.

The first day the ROTF toys were on shelves, I met a geeky girl TF collector who was there, like me, to buy for herself. My type of girl! Except she was not the least bit attractive.