No Shame

 Yesterday, I was reading a post written by Breyer History Diva AKA Andrea. The post was partly on the topic of Breyer not getting into the Toy Hall of Fame (the "winners" were the Lite Brite, top, and Masters of the Universe). Andrea addressed the fact that we have to speak up about our hobby. We have to be more open about the community.

Andrea says:

I know it’s a hard thing for a lot of hobbyists to talk about the hobby in public; it’s never been an issue for me because I was born weird and never recovered. But I also think not talking about it creates a self-perpetuating problem: if we don’t talk about it because we think people will think it’s weird, the fact that we don’t talk about it makes people think we think it’s weird.

I thought that her ideas were very interesting. They reminded me of a post written my Eleda Towle of Triple Mountain earlier this year, talking about being unashamed of our hobby (it's a good post, you should bookmark it to read sometime).

Eleda shares:

Often, collectors are pressured to sell their collections, and this is especially true for women.  Society still expects women to act "respectable," which means, for some reason, that if we spend money on anything outside of home, clothing, and necessities, we often get disapproving glances.  Men face this disapproval, also, but less often.  It's more often accepted that men collect knives or guns... Why shouldn't we all collect something that brings us joy?  We should!

The stresses of being an adult are well-known, and it always seems to be the most stressed among our relatives or friends that disparage our collecting... Almost as if misery loves company or something.  Hmmmm...

As an adult, not only does our collection continue to provide emotional support and remind us of positive memories when we're going through difficult times, but there's a new aspect as well:  The treasure hunt.  Collectors often don't spend money on name brand clothing, expensive makeup, and other transient "stuff."  We prefer to save our money for models we'll have for years or a lifetime.  Discovering one at an antique store or hunting one down online is a rewarding experience that adds to the cache of positive memories held by our herd.

I too think that this is extremely important. I know I have many models in my collection who are strongly connected to memories, to friends, family, circumstances, and stages in life.

I understand that for some people, it can be really scary opening up to someone about your models. It doesn't have to be! In my experience, nine times outta ten, you receive no judgement. Now, you will have to explain, because odds are they will have zero idea what you are talking about, but they probably won't judge you. They've got their own little quirks! And as for the ones that do scoff, or throw down a comment from their oh so lofty perch of knife/gun/stamp/etc. collecting, don't pay them any mind. We all know we've got the coolest hobby.

What other hobby has this level of realism??

Please don't let your hobby be a tender spot in conversations. This is Christmas time, and you will probably be around lots of people that you don't see very often. This time, when people are standing around, talking about their interests, don't be afraid to join in. You don't have to say it weird. No one walks up and goes, "Hi, my name is ---- and I collect little plastic horses in all the colors I can find! I just love the G1 Arab Mare. My favorite Breyer is the 2013 CC SR Glossy LP Mother Lode!"  Saying something like that would just confuse them. It doesn't have to turn into a speech. Just a simple little statement. The more you blather, the more people judge. If you don't treat it like it's weird, then they probably won't consider it weird.

I hope you try it. I really do. More people need to know about this hobby. So wear the t-shirt, slap on a bumper sticker, talk about it at work (if you work that sort of a job), and don't be afraid to join in the discussion!