Do the Flim Flam Bros. really make the better cider?

[Nas 2,873]

As we know, the Flim Flam Brothers are history when it comes to advertising and selling their cider around the farms at Sweet Apple Acres ever again, but I'm confused about something- should they have let them stay for the quality of their cider?

 

In the episode, they boasted that their machine, the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000, provided a cider-making service that was faster and better than that of the Apple family. We know that they were obviously faster, but there wasn't really a time where we actually seen anypony actually drink their cider, except that one time during the song where Granny Smith took a sip, and appeared to like it a lot. Yes, there were 3 customers who drank it too, but it was the tattered, debris-filled cider as a result from the abused power of the 6000. So, honestly, we probably will never know what anypony else thought of their cider, or if it was better than the Apples'.

 

For all we know, if it was better, and if they haven't rushed their efforts in the contest, they could've possibly still won and taken over Sweet Apple Acres. I personally think that the Apples should have altered the original 75-25 profit deal, that way they could've worked side-by-side selling the best cider probably in all of Equestria.

 

But, back to my point, do you guys think they made the better cider, and could've easily worked aside the Apples in the cider business?

 

 

Edited May 28, 2012 by One Reliable Gamer (NF160)

[Doctor XFizzle 8,669]

Their corporate ethics were bad and they should feel bad!

 

The contest was about production, not quality. Had the Bros. stuck to their original pace, they could have lost so they had to sacrifice quality to win.

 

And there's no way they'd work with the Apples. They are shady business..ponies and would probably take on some underhan...underhoofed practices to take out the Apples in the partnership. Like hostile unanimous takeover.

 

I think their quality, had it been a truthful production, would've been on par with the Apples, but the townsfolk would choose the Apples based on loyalty and the reputation. Like supporting a local business who's been in the town for 50 years over a new competitor that just moved in even though this new company may be more efficient and modern, yet equal in quality.

Edited May 28, 2012 by Doctor XFizzle

[Radiance64 7,053]

Well the only way to really find out is if you asked Granny Smith, but she'd probably say no either way what with her stubborn pride and all, so the world may never know...

[Lunalicious 223]

Nope, Sweet Apple Acres makes the best apple cider all round' Equestria, Flim Flam brothers couldn't have stayed in business very long anyways due to their ethnics.

[MVC NVMXD JVRXD 2,406]

I guess we'll never know.

 

Nope, Sweet Apple Acres makes the best apple cider all round' Equestria, Flim Flam brothers couldn't have stayed in business very long anyways due to their ethnics.

 

you mean ethics, right?

[Myth 46]

They seemed pretty dead set on driving the Apples out of business. On which cider is better, a handcrafted product is better than a mass produced one in my book.

[Lunalicious 223]

Oh yeah, haha ethics, my bad.

[Nas 2,873]

They seemed pretty dead set on driving the Apples out of business.

 

Well, that was after the short period of time when they were willing to work with them, which probably could have produced amazing resutls. Once Big Mac called the deal off unanimously, that's when the twins changed their motive.

Edited May 28, 2012 by One Reliable Gamer (NF160)

[Myth 46]

Well, that was after the short period of time when they were willing to work with them, which probably could have produced amazing resutls. Once Big Mac called the deal off unanimously, that's when the twins changed their motive.

 

The proposition would have drove the Apples out of business, thats why Big Mac called it off.

[Nas 2,873]

 

 

The proposition would have drove the Apples out of business, thats why Big Mac called it off.

 

True, but I kinda wish they would've made some changes so it'd be an equal amount of credit kind of deal, considering they didn't know how much the other ponies like the twins' cider who've actually tried it.

[Myth 46]

True, but I kinda wish they would've made some changes so it'd be an equal amount of credit kind of deal, considering they didn't know how much the other ponies like the twins' cider who've actually tried it.

 

It would have been quite the duo.

[Victoria and Co. 782]

The Flim Flam Bros. were tricky, they put cocaine in their cider.

Coke-a-Cider

[Vicke 3,189]

Their cider was just as good as the apples cider.

As Xfizzle said, they needed to sacrifice quality for making more cider in that ammount of time.

[Clover Heart 978]

I think it's important to note that Applejack mentions that they need the cider sales in order to have money through the winter. If they were to share their profit and apples 50/50, they'd be run out of business. In fact, it seems like Sweet Apple Acres is always in some financial trouble, so it's possible that if they shared any of their profit, business or sales that they could go out of business, and not be able to support the farm. Anyway, Flim and Flam's intent was not to share with the Apples. It was to run them out of business. So if they'd conceded at all, they might have been swindled or taken over by the Flim Flam Brothers.

Edited May 28, 2012 by Clover Heart

[Espelancer 108]

Whenever you start mass producing a product, you sacrifice a little bit of the quality. It was clearly very delicious cider, however your grandma's homemade apple pie will (almost) always be better than that frozen apple pie you picked up at Kroger.

 

That being said, there was a clear shortage of supply of apple cider in Ponyville, and the Apple family clearly cannot keep up on their own, or at least certainly not for any meaningful length of time. Given that Ponyville is a very desirable community to live in (I'd move there!), the population will only grow in the future while the Apple family's output remains the same. Since nearly everypony in town wanted the cider, this leaves an opening for business, which the Flim Flam Brothers rightfully honed in on.

 

The problem with the Flim Flam Brother's business practice, though, is they effectively tried to do the same thing to the apple cider business what Rockefeller did to the oil business -- buy up or force out the competition so that they would control the supply of cider and therefore the price. That is why it is a good thing that the Flim Flam Brother's plan backfired, although I don't think that will save the next town.

[NavelColt 22,880]

The 'tender loving care' quality that the Apples spoke about was, in the end, replicated with the brothers. In other words their cider was just as good as the Apples, even though it was artificially created and not by hand. In the end, the only difference between them was the sentimental and traditional value given to the Apples' cider, given they had been doing it for a long time, had always been there, and go through the trouble of making it by hand. Therefore, like what's been said, the only reason that the brothers lost was because they willingly sabotaged themselves by sacrificing ALL of their quality for quantity, through turning off their machines 'ripe or not ripe' mechanism. Meanwhile, the Apple team did no such thing; they increased their productivity through the addition of more members, not by sacrificing quality for quantity. Thusly, their cider remained as good as it always was.

 

So, should they have stayed in business? No. They're snobs with shady, sneaky business ethics. Was their cider better? Well, at was at LEAST as good as the apples' cider in the beginning, when they weren't sacrificing the quality for quantity, but whether 'it was better quality' or 'it was the same quality' is up to individual opinion. Mine is that it was about the same.

[the muffinz 9]

The brothers come in and buy the apples from the Apple family, then they go around equestria selling the finished cider product. Since the Apples are a local business, they can't sell very far from their farm. Everypony wins!

Edited May 28, 2012 by the muffinz

[Nas 2,873]

The brothers come in and buy the apples from the Apple family, then they go around equestria selling the finished cider product. Everypony wins!

 

But then, what about the split profits? lol

 

They'd still deserve the same amount of credit, so even if the did it, they'd still have the 75, thus, driving SAA banckrupt eventually.

 

Also, like Clover Heart stated, they're on the financial edge most of the time anyways, so even if the deal was 99-1 (with the Apples getting the 99), they'd still probably run out of business, not to mention the fact that the twins would probably complain about the low wage of the deal.

[Vicke 3,189]

For those who still dont belive that Flim and Flam's cider was just as good.

 

Here is the flim flam song, they offer a cup of their cider to Granny Smith and as she taste it she get a worried expression on her face.

This proves that she thinks the quality is just as good.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ssl1RxwMWNA

 

3:05

[Mr. Jaguar 1,403]

I always assumed it was better, and they would've won had they not tried to cheat by using debris and rotten apples.

Edited May 28, 2012 by Pegasus25

[Lostwanderer 367]

I think the fact granny smith enjoyed it really did say alot about the quality of the cider, but i also imagien that was because of the apple familiy's apples.

 

There device was inguines with alot of potential, there issue was there pride when it came to the competition, i do believe if they weren't so cocky they could have easily run the apple family out of buisiness.

[Cain 24]

They seem like con ponies, so no to either of those questions.

 

Although I did like their song.

[spas-ticShotty 3,584]

No! Anyponies who almost manage to make Applejack cry is no friend of mine

[Akemi Homura 7,680]

After their performance, they really wouldn't be selling jack shit after the way they made their cider. Quality over quantity, even though there's that theory about low-quality items selling a lot, it doesn't apply for food or drinks.

[Nas 2,873]

For those who still dont belive that Flim and Flam's cider was just as good.

 

Here is the flim flam song, they offer a cup of their cider to Granny Smith and as she taste it she get a worried expression on her face.

This proves that she thinks the quality is just as good.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ssl1RxwMWNA

 

3:05

 

 

Exactly. That was the point I was trying to make in the OP that this is the only tiny evidence we have of what their cider tastes like. Later, three ponies try their cider, but it's the cider that was rushed, this filled with rocks, bark, leaves, etc., which made it taste awful. So really, Granny Smith is the only existing being that knows of what their cider tasted like! We must know!