But that was the Flim Flam brothers suggesting they go into joint business. This is still two independent companies, here. And technically they could still do that if they hiked the price up enough.

The thing about the Flim Flam brothers is that they may be travelling for the moment, yes, but if they want to make a decent living they need to settle somewhere - they were ready and willing to settle into Sweet Apple acres, remember? Flim Flam Fields?

I'm just saying, there was a perfectly reasonable solution that benefits both parties and ultimately gets them what they want... and they didn't take it. I'm not judging them for it, I get that the apple family may very well have not wanted to give up on making Cider. I'm just saying, the solution was there.

edited 28th Jan '12 11:35:32 AM by kegisak

Not meant to be smarty pants here. But I think it is sad when the other loves are left behind

edited 28th Jan '12 11:35:28 AM by FallenLegend

AJ did say that most of the Winter profits came from making cider. Maybe they couldn't afford to cut a deal?

I have wondered how Filthy rich for instance is able to become rich with their apples while applejack is constantly in need of money.

edited 28th Jan '12 11:38:08 AM by FallenLegend

Yeah, but that's the thing: They wasted apples to make the cider. Which means that the low sales of apples must have come from demand, not supply - otherwise they could simply sell the apples needed to make the cider. So with Flim and Flam around, suddenly they have winter demand again.

Good business sense. Like I said, the apples are good at farming. Baaaaaaaaad at business.

edited 28th Jan '12 11:37:45 AM by kegisak

I think the Flim Flam brother's biggest problems are that they're a bit lazy and shortsighted. They have a legitimately good product that could make them rich, all they need to do is mass produce the thing and lease it out to farms. The farms would have increased cider production and the brothers could just sit back and let money roll in, but that would require some hefty overhead costs and take several years to see significant results. They seemed more interested in short term gains, hence their tendency to roll into town, bilk as much as possible and then leave. I'm not entirely convinced they would have stayed even if they got the farm. They probably would have just sold it and left.

Filthy Rich doesn't run a farm

Holy horse crap they posted it.◊ Safe for work.

yeah that's true but with the apples being their main provider you would think the apples would be a bit more rich

@Kegisak that's true AJ as much as a good worker she is bussiness really isn't her main strength

edited 28th Jan '12 11:41:20 AM by FallenLegend

Well if the Flim Flam Brothers wanted a farm, does that mean Unicorns can grow food?

This mostly came down to a case of narrative convenience. They needed to get both parties to get into conflict over the cider. In order to accomplish that both sides needed to come across as terrible from a business sense.

Either way though, while the Apples aren't exactly living the high life they don't seem to be hard pressed for money most of the time.

From what little I know, unless you are running a huge conglomeration of mega-farms you can't really expect to make it rich in the agriculture business.

edited 28th Jan '12 11:43:47 AM by Mio

I think this disproved any idea of Unicorns being connected to the land.

They could hire some EP to work there.

How, exactly?

edited 28th Jan '12 11:42:11 AM by Badwolfwho

I think the Rich's do more than just sell apple farm products. Its they sell the Zap Apple Jam, but that was just money to "grease the wheels" as it were. They've got to have other business prospects. Hell, Flithy explicitly says he owns a place called "Rich's Barnyard Bargains."

edited 28th Jan '12 11:44:32 AM by WillKeaton

@kegi What I meant is that I was under the impression that the Flim Flams ALREADY have loads of orchards under their belts, or at least had a some sort of deal set up with most of them.

Basically, I assumed the Flim Flams worked like this:

• 1.) They enter a new town, demonstrate the power of the SSCS 6 K and win over the locals.
• 2.) Offer the 25/75 split deal to the local orchards.
  • a.) If they accept then they set up a machine there and leave.
  • b.) If they refuse then they set up shop and import apples from the other orchards they've made deals with/taken over. They then run the local orchard out of business and take over
• 3.) The Flim Flams move on to a new town and repeat the process.

I was maninly thinking on AJ at the gala her behavior seemed to imply that she needs money often. Even Rartity another hard worker isn't that much on the getting money scheme as AJ (as much as she is trying to be famous)

edited 28th Jan '12 11:44:39 AM by FallenLegend

I'm guessing they make a lot of money.

But a lot of it has to go back into keeping the farm healthy.

I imagine the Flim Flam brothers were probably under the impression that, "Oh, well, trees grow apples on their own!". They weren't really aware how much work the farm would actually take. Their inventors, not farmers.

You know, I kinda wonder if that machine can do other stuff? It seems like making cider is a very narrow application if they really are travelling ponies. Maybe it can change functions depending on what they need it to do. Swap out a few part and bam! The cider maker is suddenly a, I dunno, travelling musical show! Or a clothing producer!

@Ginger: Hm. Okay, that's a fair point. I can see that, actually... Seems like an odd business plan, though. I mean, I guess they want to make as much money as possible, but past a certain point I just don't see that any more than a few machines would be necessary.

edited 28th Jan '12 11:47:09 AM by kegisak

@Badwolfwho

As gingerninja 666, mentioned. The brothers were 'traveling sale ponies'. They had no intention of staying or farming, they wanted to use available resources to make profit. If they were farmers they wouldn't have asked Applejack for a bushel of apples.

edited 28th Jan '12 11:49:46 AM by Bunai

Or an automo-car!

Heh, I'll stick with my theory since it makes the Flim flams ALOT more sinister

@Ginger: The way they were set up as traveling charlatans, I assumed that they came into town, made as much as possible and left. Granted, I'm basing this a bit on the character type, and their machine was higher quality than is typical for their kind, but they don't seem like they have substantial assets around Equestria. And if they did, I'd find it odd that AJ hadn't heard about the brothers who'd been snatching up apple orchards.

re: Unicorns- land connection

The unicorns relied on magical and technolgical solutions to harvest and produce food, disregarding the land and nature (much like TS did back in WWU, though her's was far more benign). The Apples always kept to their time tested and hard working methods, which where rewarded with far better output.

Eh, I dunno. I'm not sure I like how pushy that makes them. Oh, I like them being sinister - but I like my slimy villains. I like them worming their way into a town, making a quick profit and slinking away.

I love the con-artist archetype. Not sure why. But I do really like the idea of Flim and Flam pulling a quick job before they invented the machine... a card hustling table in Canterlot, perhaps. Lordy, can you imagine how useful being twins would be to conning?