Is the Apple Family Rich?

[Sugar Cube 4,843]

Absolutely not. If they were the second richest family in Equestria, I don't think replacing "Granny's saggy old hip" would have been a problem for Applejack. AJ was eager to try and sell her goods in Canterlot at the Gala as a way of getting her business to become more well-known, and to make a nice sum off of the richer ponies. Also, in Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000, Applejack exclaims that cider sales help keep her business floating, and that losing Sweet Apple Acres was a possibility. I definitely don't think the Apples are very rich at all, but rather they make enough to get by.

 

I like this because it means that Applejack can always expand her business later on down the road, should the writers decide to progress the life and story of the Apple Family, which I for one would love to see.

Edited April 28, 2013 by Sugar Cube

[Rainbow Dash Loyalty 1,274]

Of course not, Apple Jack's dream at the Gala was to earn a lot of money to buy things she needed for her family. If the family was rich then they would have high quality tools and would be able to work around the farm easier. But I'm sure they're fine the way the already are.

[zyr1987 1]

I don't think they're even the second richest family in Ponyville, if I'm honest. I imagine that Rarity would be able to save more bits from her dress making than the Apples could set aside from selling apples, and would this be richer over the long term, and seeing how (as others mentioned) Flim and Flam's machine threatened to make them lose their farm, it doesn't seem like they have a whole lot of spare wealth to go around.

[True Rarity 1,239]

I don't believe that they are the 2nd richest family.

Again, like everypony else says, they would have lost the farm to the Flim and Flam brothers in Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000.

And in Ticket Master Applejack mentions that she needs money to replace the equipment on the farm and Granny Smith's hip.

[duidamasterXD 9,626]

@@TheMarkz0ne,

 

Hello. Your topic and this one both essentially addressed the same issue, the relative wealth of the Apple Family, and as the discussion replying to your topic is more or less identical to this one, I have merged your thread with it. In the future please use the search feature before making new threads to ensure that there aren't duplicates.

[King 5,625]

The apple family appears to be doing well for themselves but I wouldn't call it rich exactly. If you remember correctly there are multiple instances where Applejack tries to drum up business for the farm, which suggest that they need more money, they appear to have enough to get by well enough, but not enough to call them rich or anything.

[VelvetDivan 96]

Farming is a business with high overhead, generally, but (if you're smart and the weather cooperates) high enough profits to stay afloat.  Maintenance of your equipment and facilities, purchase of seed, fertilizer, insecticide, additional labor when necessary for plowing/harvest, plus fees for washing and packaging your produce and transporting it to your site of sale.  

 

The Apple family may not have to endure all of these costs, but as was noted above, they have to put up with some additional ones, like Pinkie Pie & Derpy damage...parasprites, Discord, etc.

 

It's fortunate they have two reasonably unique, hit items (zap apple jam and cider) to sell or their books may never edge into the black.

 

(The harsh reality is that as hardworking as the Apple family is, there's just too much work to be done for two adult ponies, a creaky granny, and a filly.  AJ is too involved in the day-to-day work of the farm to spend much time thinking up new ways to market their products, or how to reach new markets, or even how to take advantage of modern technology and magic to cut down on labor.  She's working hard but not smart, and that's why Sweet Apple Acres teeters so close to disaster.  I love AJ, but she is not a savvy businesspony.  If she were, I doubt many of us would like her nearly as much.)

[ManiacForPonies 27]

Well they always say that they need help with their economy. However I find that hard to believe because of how well they do (taking in count the cider season and those rainbow apple thingies). I think that they say it to give Apple Jack reasons to work so much. 

But keeping a farm that big must need a lot of material. So they probably do have a lot of money but they use it to take kare of the apples.

[Eureka 1,119]

They probably have a decent amount of money, but they aren't necessarily rich. They probably have enough money to keep the acres. They have a pretty successful business, but it's not like they are amazing or anything xD.

[Guest]

They are most definitely not rich, they probably only break slightly above even. If they were rich, I'm sure they wouldn't have to work so hard all the time.

[Rolls Royce 606]

No, but I'd say they're doing ok with money.  They obviously have enough to keep Sweet Apple Acres up and running, but there were tons of instances in the show that shown they aren't rich.  Applejack just wanted to go to the Grand Galloping Gala just to earn a lot of cash to replace a bunch of stuff on the farm (Granny Smith's saggy old hip, Big Mac's saggy old plow, and the saggy old roof), and AJ even said in Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000, cider sale is crucial because it will give them enough money to last through the entire winter.  Plus, they've had to rebuild their barn about 4-5 times already, so I'm sure that's taken a lot of money away.