Is the Apple Family Rich?

[Rainbow Sparkle 70]

I was just wondering if anyone could help me solve a bit of a conundrum I'm having. I'm writing a fanfic with the help of a Co-Author, who put forward the idea that the Apples are actually a very wealthy family in Equestria, and that perhaps they only pretend or seem poor for one reason or another. Season 1 certainly left us with the implications that times were hard for Applejacks portion of the family, but then Season 2 came and kinda took that and turned it on its head with the Zap Apples and Cider Season.

 

So, anyone have any thoughts? Are the Apples Rich, or are they poor?

[Spartan 433]

they probably make just enough money to keep the farm working and just a little bit extra to get other things.. but surely not rich..

[Uutama 19]

I would assume that they make quite a decent amount, since they can't grow during the winter. Most farms aren't owned by rich families in any case. It would be most plausible if they were not.

[Abstract 832]

I wouldn't be surprised if they were. They seem to control much, if not almost all, of the apple business in Ponyville. Perhaps apples are a smaller market than I assume, but it sure seems like a monopoly like that would leave them at least fairly well off in monetary terms.

[Shiki 5,855]

Of course they aren't rich. They wouldn't need to do all the dirty work of actual farming if they actually had a lot of cash on them.

[irobern2857 95]

I doubt rich but I would say the are about middle class, like right in the middle of the bracket. probably enough to support the farm and to buy a few leisure items but not to many.

Of course they aren't rich. They wouldn't need to do all the dirty work of actual farming if they actually had a lot of cash on them.

 

I actually think that even if they were rich that they would still do all the work. that just seems like their personality. AJ spent time in Manehatton and hated it. She almost seems to enjoy doing all the farm work.

Edited November 28, 2012 by irobern2857

[Batbrony 16,055]

Um no, I really don't think they're rich at all. Don't get me wrong, I think they get by fine, the apple business is booming and such, and that they're able to even improve their property when they need to, but I don't think they're rich. I also don't see how Zap Apple Season and Cider Season turned that idea on its head. I mean, one of the most telling suggestions of their not being rich came during Cider Season, when Applejack herself stated that they rely off of the profits from Cider Season to keep Sweet Apple Acres afloat through the winter, and I imagine that Zap Apple Season serves a similar purpose, or at least provides some extra money for improving the farm. So, in conclusion, I can't honestly see the Apple family being rich, and I think they're OK with that; they love what they do, they play an extremely important role in Ponyville's community and economy and they know it, and they manage with what they earn, all the while earning every last bit through honest, hard, and sincere work and labor.But props for thinking outside of the box, kinda surprised nopony's ever suggested this on the forums before.

Edited November 28, 2012 by Batbrony

[CloudFyre 848]

I'll pose this scenario as food for thought:

 

While it's true that the Apple family seems to be rolling in the dough when it comes to Zap Apple Jam and cider, it appears that they aren't wealthy in cash. In Season 1, Episode 3 ("The Ticket Master"), Applejack comments on all of the things that she could do if she were able to go to the Gala, and subsequently earn more money.

 

So while their cash holdings are questionable, I believe that they have a different, more subtle asset. Watch the first sixty seconds of Season 1, Episode 4 ("Applebuck Season"), and pay close attention to the panoramic views in the background:

 

 

http-~~-//www.youtube.com/watch?v=noz3yqBHfBU

 

Are you catching my drift? Their wealth isn't in the form of cash: it's in the massive amount of land they own. Acres upon acres of it.

 

That being said, it's possible that land isn't as valuable in Equestria as it is here on Earth. Even still, I've yet to see a group of ponies that own more land than the Apples, save the Royal Sisters themselves.

Edited November 28, 2012 by CloudFyre

[duidamasterXD 9,627]

I think my best guess is that they make loads of cash but also rack up massive expenses. We can plainly see in season 2 that they make a killing selling zap apples and cider, and that isn't even considering their sales of actual apples, apple pie, apple fritters, apple cobbler...(Cue episode 1 montage of apple family members). After seeing them rake in the cash I guess I can only assume that it costs a lot to operate their farm. I don't think they're bad off but I wouldn't call them rich either.

Edited November 28, 2012 by DashForever

[Two-of-Hearts 168]

Maybe yes and no. They are wealthy in that they own a great deal of land, and with any extra money they have they try to purchase more land. They're wealth is tied up in realestate, and being land owners they pay taxes for that land, hence why they need those lands to continue producing crops at capacity.

 

On a side note, I've decided that the reason why we have yet to see Applejack's parents is because they are working as agricultural consultants out on the frontier and Big Mac is in charge of Sweet Apple Acres in their stead (sorry, head canon acting up).

[Pinkazoid 3,493]

I doubt so, they needed to sell cider, in order to keep the farm running during winter, if they were rich, they wouldn't be as desperate as to sell it, and if Flim and Flam nearly had taken the farm from them, they'd still have enough money to rely on, maybe even buy back the farm

[Shankveld 4,949]

As someone who comes from a long time of farmers I would say no.

As my uncle once said, "If you want to do a lot of work and always be poor; become a farmer."

~

[Jammo 986]

They are selling apples not Apple products. You make a decent living in the world of produce, but you won't be wealthy. Though the Apples do span across Equestria. Maybe if all the farms pooled their wealth together they could be considered rich. Not swimming in bits but small enterprise rich.

Edited November 28, 2012 by Jammo

[Spring Storm 276]

I don't think they're rich. With how often we see their barn(s) needing to be replaced, I would think the farm upkeep is probably pretty expensive. People have already cited some evidence of the Apples just getting by, but I thought I'd point out something else: if they were rich, Applejack wouldn't have felt the need to keep the money promise she made in The Last Roundup.

[Rainbow Sparkle 70]

But props for thinking outside of the box, kinda surprised nopony's ever suggested this on the forums before.

 

 

Actually, it was my co-author who brought up the idea of them being rich. I'm just trying to figure out if that even made any sense.

[Fridge 382]

I would say like with most farms etc, they aren't rich per say. Sure they have money but thats all sunk into keeping the farm running. The family themselves probably do well enough, not in poverty but not rich either.

[TailsIsNotAlone 3,695]

The Apple family is definitely not rich. Much of what they need, they plant or build with their own hooves. They're a local farm family that gets by well enough, but they're not at all like the Oranges in Manehattan, who clearly have a bigger operation going.

Edited November 30, 2012 by TailsAlone

[Cestler 9]

I was just wondering if anyone could help me solve a bit of a conundrum I'm having. I'm writing a fanfic with the help of a Co-Author, who put forward the idea that the Apples are actually a very wealthy family in Equestria, and that perhaps they only pretend or seem poor for one reason or another. Season 1 certainly left us with the implications that times were hard for Applejacks portion of the family, but then Season 2 came and kinda took that and turned it on its head with the Zap Apples and Cider Season.So, anyone have any thoughts? Are the Apples Rich, or are they poor?

 Hmm...that's an intersting thought you got there. What is your fanfic about anyway?

 And I think that AJ's family is, say, just a bit poor. Like some of the well to do people in third class countries.

[Zygen 6,066]

I'm pretty sure they just make enough to upkeep the farm, and then have a little extra left over to buy other things. However considering the fact that after the cider episode telling about how they would be unable to keep the farm if they had to split it like 40-60. therefore that would imply they are certainly not rich, so I'd assume they just have enough to run the farm and have a couple extra bucks left over.

 

If she was rich she'd probably have fixed granny smith's leg by now .

Edited November 30, 2012 by Zygen

[TheMarkz0ne 962]

We all know Diamond Tiara's father is basically the Rockefeller of MLP. But you figure the apple is a gross domestic product of ponyville and beyond and it seems that's what the ponies mostly eat. So can we assume Apple Jack's family is rich?

[Diamond Treasure 118]

No bc they wouldnt have had to worry about losing the farm in the Flim and Flam episode

If they were rich that wouldnt have happened

[Scootalove 10,689]

No. They had to worry about losing the farm to Flim & Flam in the apple cider competition with Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000. If they have a lot of money, they can basically buy anything for their farm. So, no.

[Nohbdy 4,108]

No, the Apple family is a local business. We know that the Apple family has no labor beyond their own family members. We also know that the family produces a lot of apples, but there's no way they can produce enough to meet the demand across the entire nation. This is especially true given that they were threatened by a single machine from the Flim Flam Brothers. Furthermore, the Apple Family sells only to the local Ponyville market. That's why the Grand Galloping Gala was such a huge deal to Applejack. She saw it as an opportunity to sell to those with money. And, if they were the second richest family in Equestria, surely they would have other ponies selling the apples for them. 

 

Now, there is the extended Apple family, but we know so little about them that there's really no way to tell how powerful they are, or whether they share the wealth at all.

 

We also have the Canterlot ponies to consider. Those guys are clearly meant to be the most powerful non-royal ponies in Equestria. There has been no indication that the Apple family, or Filthy Rich, can even approach the Canterlot ponies in wealth. I can see the Apple Family as a successful family business, but I can't see them as the Rockefeller family. I can't see Filthy Rich as Bill Gates, either. He's more likely just a local millionaire. Fancy Pants, on the other hand, is a much better fit for that name. 

[Shanks 10,816]

No, definitely not yes the Apple family did help found Ponyville and have an enormous influence on the local economy but saying they are the second richest family in Equestria is pushing it. They have a large extended family with multiple orchards all over Equestria but apple farming is usually not the kind of business that will make you that wealthy.

[Silent Giggles 13]

rich or not, they would need a ton of bits to keep up repairs on the farm. think about it, almost every episode with applejack includes the barn being destroyed in a number of ways. nuclear rainboom, multitude of pinkies, and even runaway wagons. you can't keep rebuilding a barn when you can't afford the materials. unless they just reuse materials. that would explain how it  keeps breaking