This story is a sequel to Tricks Of The Trade Show
For the most part, Ponyville's outdoor market hosts local businesses. Every so often, somepony from Canterlot may try to dump stock in the neighboring settled zone, but it's a rare occurrence. It means newcomers stand out. And when more and more of them crowd in, with every last one selling the same things...
Rarity knows the fashions being sold are counterfeit. Knockoffs. Travesties.
She just doesn't understand why she's supposed to care.
(A stand-alone part of the Triptych Continuum, which has its own TVTropes page and FIMFiction group. New members and trope edits welcome. The prequel story is linked for the prior appearance of one character: no knowledge of that piece is required to read this one.)
Now with author Patreon and Ko-Fi pages.
Author's Very Public Note: while this story was intended to be (and hopefully works as) a stand-alone, it has connections to Tricks Of The Trade Show, Sonic Rainbigot, and One Tenth-Bit, taking place after all of them. I tried to put in enough recap so that those who haven't read them will understand the back references, but anyone who has been through them all might get a little more out of it. It's just not mandatory.
And one more thing: quite a bit of what happens here is based in actual events.
Retail: as strange on Earth as it is in Equestria.
Too perfect. Bravo Rarity bravo.
The twists were perfect, and that last line was beautiful. Good job, Estee. Another great read
Mm. I foresee a difficulty in Rarity's immediate future: she has indeed won herself a set of assorted first-quality pieces... but they're probably from Barneigh's. Why bother?
What a lovely story. I wonder what is the familly name for those kink tails. If one thing could be said about Rarity, its that she is effective in what ever endavor she take on. Getting rid of an invasion of sellers? Easy enough! Bravo.
And I hope we will see Coco in your stories somedays again.
The title made me think of First they came... poem, but nice subversion in that this ends happily!
Reminds me of Department Of Madness Vindication in topic-ish.
Similar families being involved?
Is there a giant crime syndicate in Equestria, formed of multiple large crime families??
I'll be pleasantly surprised if there actually is an overarching plot with these similar "crime" families...
Aw, I totally understand why somepony would miss Pommel...
I feel like Rarity should not have needed that explain and that she'd worry about counterfeiters being that close to her product
...and I did not speak out, because I did not make boots.
Then they came for the saddlebags, and I did not speak out, because I did not make saddlebags.
Then they came for the suits, and I did not speak out, because I did not make suits.
Then they came for my friends...
(Not a perfect association, but it's the general spirit of things.)
In any case, magnificent work, showcasing Rarity at her best and worst, sometimes simultaneously. May her ascent to the pinnacle of fashion be a road of labels slain by her hoof.
Oh, you magnificent marshmallow, you.
As an Australian, I do feel the need to apologise to the world for the creation of the Ugg boot. To be fair though, their popularity in the late ‘90s was all on you. It is all in the name: Ugg(ly) boots.
(Yes, I did have several pairs growing up in the ‘70s and ‘80s. I can’t believe how incredibly and unbearablely hot your feet end up becoming. And the cheaper versions don’t even have the benefit of being water-resistant. They must be completely useless in the snow.)
Oi! I like Uggs! They're soft and warm!
8996048 Trophies, duh! And I'm sure Applejack would look divine in at least one of the pieces.
What would a good ponification of "Snopes" be?
Does one become a market manager in Equestria by just owning the largest open space? It seems to be a profitable, and entirely legally unregulated, business.
Dang I enjoyed this one. The way you write Vindictive Rarity is fantastic.
Duke Greengrass, get your sorry ass back to the Lunaverse and take your redemption arc like a stallion.
Very clever. I really enjoyed this story.
And that is a beautiful line.
"encountered any trouble in taking his way into"
"encountered any trouble in talking his way into"?
One quibble
IMO, the Running of the Leaves (as seen in Fall Weather Friends) = Summer Shut Down
Sure, most of the snow just melts, most of the leaves just fall, etc. You start a fire & most of the wood just burns But, no match = no fire. In EQ magic works. IMO, no ceremony to start the process & the seasons don't change
Oh damn, that's some good Rarity going on here.
8996646
The Running of the Leaves might simply be a single event as part of the overall Summer Shut Down.
Not much MLP.
It's finally occurred to me that Rarity is also quite generous with her spite.
8996048
Just in case one's most recent designs have been straying into territory best left unexplored, it's worthwhile to have fresh examples of what not to do.
8996194
Honestly, I think the world should apologise to us for trying to turn what was supposed to be an indoor slipper into a fashion item. They're not meant to be comfortable, they're meant to be the daggy old things you put on in the privacy of your own home when warmth if more important than appearances.
Also the US legal system owes several Australian manufacturers apologies that I don't think they ever got.
Your Rarity is always a delight to read, Estee. She's got this marvelously elegant viciousness to herself that makes her a pony you really don't want to mess with.
I get the feeling this is gonna give me the giggles, and its not even a comedy...
huh? oh yeah, i forgot: all of Estee's stories are set between season 3 and season 4.
8996646
I think that you got things confused. The Running of the Leaves is at the end of autumn, yes? This story takes place at the beginning of autumn.
Based on a true story...: One Remove's real world background
This piece isn't the first time I've tried constructing a story around events I'd either witnessed or been told about. And for those wondering just what could have happened in reality in order to get this story going -- well, this time, I'm going to pull back the curtain a little. But because I'm about to talk about things which, in some form, appear within the story itself, don't proceed any further in this comment until you've actually read the story.
(Place symbolic pause here.)
Okay.
One Remove is based in a combination of two separate events.
The stronger factor is taken from something which happened to a not-so-local outdoor flea market several years ago. In this specific case, the aisles were systematically invaded by an interlinked army -- one which sold nothing but counterfeit purses of all (faked) brands. It started with two or so such booths, and I understand that the goods were fairly easy to spot as being counterfeits if you were familiar with the true work. A lot of people weren't, or just thought everyone else would be fooled. Two spaces of those goods, the market let them stay, no one tried to call fraud, and the actual copyright holders didn't do anything.
Then there were four such booths.
Eight.
The number went up from there. Quickly.
At its peak, roughly one in every seven market spaces was selling counterfeit purses -- for a market which hosted several hundred booths. And all of those sellers were working together. They would meet before setup to agree on who would have what prices, make things artificially higher near the entrance and a bit lower towards the back, occasionally split up the proceeds among themselves. They reinforced each other, provided backup if anyone tried to complain. The crowding out of more established sellers was well under way. And the local police? Did nothing. Maybe it was just too much trouble, or they decided the buyers hadn't done enough bewaring. The actual companies may have reached the point where they were trying to get some control back -- I don't have that full picture -- but they seem to have run into a minor difficulty: market management. All management cared about was collecting the rent, and they were renting out more spots than ever. Who cared if the market's actual reputation was plummeting? If those who had once come for antiques now saw the place as nothing more than a fakefest? They were getting money, and if the old group of sellers left because their customers were no longer there... well, that was just one more space for those counterfeit purses. The management was actively protecting the counterfeiters, to the point of coming down on their side during any arguments with other merchants, or on those rare occasions when a customer realized what was wrong and tried to call out the fakes. And no one ever spotted it happening, but based on behavior alone, a number of people suspected that what passed for market security was being outright bribed.
It got ugly, and did so on a scale which I didn't want to place in the story. We would have been on the border of the Dark tag.
The actual takeover process took about five months, with the counterfeit sellers becoming steadily more aggressive. And I'm not sure it ever would have stopped if it wasn't for local government. They had once been proud of their outdoor market -- it's an old one -- and now it was nothing more than knockoff paradise. People still went there, but... it's as I said in the story: most of them came, picked out their favorite fake, and left immediately. The place had become an embarrassment.
So the legislature did the only thing they could. They hit the one party in charge of the most local enforcement, and they hit them where it hurt. Sellers could be fined for fake goods -- but that wasn't enough: all the falsehoods being sold let them cover that from spare change.
The new law put the fines on the market. Four digits for every space found to be hosting fakes, with a chance to escalate. And as spot rent was less than $50 per booth, this represented something of a loss over what the management was actually taking in. Suddenly, they had a vested financial interest in not letting the counterfeit sellers have those spots -- and finally got around to policing themselves.
Takeover required about five months. Clearing the infestation needed roughly one. But -- management was stupid. They'd been getting more spot rentals than ever, and suddenly those people were gone. They'd gotten used to having that money, and didn't want to give it up. (They also had some fines which needed paying off.) So they raised the rent on those who remained... and that started the spiral which Applejack discusses in-story.
The market itself (barely) survives, but it's a shadow of what it once was. I'd estimate that on a typical sunny day, perhaps 40% of the spaces are filled. Christmas might drag the occupancy rate over the halfway mark, but not by much. And some of the older sellers, who were squeezed or lost their customer base? They never came back. They didn't want to deal with management any more, and they didn't think it would be possible to rebuild. Turns out they were right.
So guess what? For Ponyville, things went better than they did in reality. That outdoor market will recover. The true one is simply waiting for the moment when it realizes that it's no longer breathing...
The second event took place at a different outdoor show, in another state. I was a direct witness.
The booth in question was selling Ugg boots -- or what was supposed to pass for them. And if you want to know how the stand looked? Consult the story. Boxes strewn across the asphalt, customers digging within. Planks placed atop inverted metal Vs served as tables. No vendor vehicle present (and parking space was provided directly behind the spot) because they'd unloaded and then placed their van in the customer lot. Just about nothing going on in the way of sales pitches: let people dig for themselves. And always, always at least one person roaming the aisles at all times.
Because this market, in that state, was a little less lax about law enforcement. That patrolling party was looking for the police, or for anyone who seemed to be acting as a representative of the copyright holders. Those inspecting things a little too closely, followed by the flash of a badge.
So I was there at the moment when the scout came tearing up the aisle, desperately plunged into the booth and screamed something in what I think was Cantonese. And at the moment he hit the punctuation mark, all of the sellers in that booth ran. They went up the aisle, heading towards one of the distant parking lots. And they left everything behind. They ran for wherever their van was, and then... they vanished. You can add your own mental impression of gas pedals being slammed: timing meant the actual high-speed chase was probably abandoned within fiction. They simply ran for it, abandoning all of their merchandise, and they never came back.
But the thing was... they had just very visibly & permanently abandoned their space while there were customers within it. Other people passing by in the aisles, watching them trying to get away.
I was there, as a direct witness, and so know that ponies aren't the only species which can go through the massed realization of groupthink.
It took something under thirty seconds for the horde to descend.
You can mostly look to the story for what happened next, except for those places where I understated the case: some people just picked up full boxes -- ones which were more than four feet high -- and carried them out to their cars. But for the most part, there was a surprising degree of cooperation. Someone's walking off with two dozen Size 8s? Go ahead and take one for yourself before they leave: they won't mind. And in less than three minutes, all that was left was the metal prop legs, planks, and some empty boxes.
Then the closest merchants to that space stepped out of their own territory, went inside, and claimed the boards. Others took the prop legs. And by the time the police finally came down the aisle, flanking the inspector, there was nothing but empty boxes and a few scattered food containers which no one could be bothered to clean up. All they had to arrest was cardboard, with the option to press ketchup stains as additional evidence.
They looked very frustrated. But the now-departed former customers were certainly happy.
So for those who think my stories might stretch the bounds in what takes place within?
Reality's worse.
Cross-posted to my blog.
8997215
No, the end of Autumn would be in Tanks For the Memories (S5)
Fall Weather Friends is turning the leaves' colors -IMO, the start
8996768
Well, maybe. Although the Summer Sun Celebration is 1day & Winter Wrap is supposed to be 1 day
8997918
Perhaps you'd care to take a minute to explain how knocking the leaves off the trees changes their color? Because otherwise, the Running of the Leaves clearly takes place at the end of autumn not the start.
There's a reason Rarity's the best.
By any chance, does this take place after Triptych?
Lord of War comes to mind
8998192
Ok, just rewatched Fall Weather Friends. Most of the trees had changed, some had not. You're right, the main thing is that the leaves fell.
If FWF is the end of Autumn /start of Winter then what, in your opinion, is going on during Tanks For The Memories?
8998670 A couple of things. For one, the "end of Autumn" and the "start of Winter" don't necessarily have to occur on the same day. When the events in question don't happen naturally, but instead require pony labor, it makes sense to spread them out over several days.
For the other, the Running of the Leaves is a Ponyville (and likely earth pony) tradition. It's separate from Cloudsdale's weather work (aside from needing to be finished before Cloudsdale arrives anyway.) So that's another reason they might not occur on the same day.
Of course we've seen that Winter Wrap Up ignores this sensible idea and instead clears the snow and plants the seeds on the same day. So I guess the real answer is the writers done goofed.
8996770
Not much MLP? Really? Considering the whole story revolves around Rarity and Applejack?
9001961
It does? I thought the whole story was about the economic impact of dumping goods on a smaller economy with a little bit of deux ex machina at the end because the author has no idea how economic systems actually work.
9002167
You can tell me what you think, and that's fine.
But when you tell me what I think, we're done.
9002167
Considering the author not only has but has shown a real-world example of this exact scenario happening, I'd say he has a decent enough grasp of it.
There is a difference between offering criticism and being downright rude, and you have crossed that line.
Thank you, Fancypants! Also, vindictive Rarity is awesome.
First some nitpicking about apples:
"Lord Lambournes were just another species of apple, one which had apparently first surfaced on somepony's estate."
I think it should be "another cultivar of apple" unless apple biology works differently in triptychverse.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple
Another thing: it isn't clear to me why did the sellers of knockoffs run at the end when they had not earlier. Had Rarity managed to make them nervous by revealing the plot or was it the sheer number of police ponies or was there another reason?
9008838
Sheer number of police ponies. One of the kink-tails patrols saw the size of the incoming squad and decided it was time to go.
Rarity is generous with her vengeance, isnt she?
As has been said, an excellent and comprehensive look at Rarity (and capitalism) inaction.
Nicely done! I love how Rarity’s understanding of the consequences of the knock-off stands on the legitimate merchants is provided via her relationship with AJ. And I’m a great fan of your portrayal of Rarity that harkens back to the intelligent, resourceful mare we met in MLP season one!
...AMAZING. Just...wow.
...but what's in the box?
9084135
Remember how how Rarity said that they kept quality pieces in case ponies complained and wanted to exchange or get a refund? The quality pieces are in that box.
9088839
I meant what specifically. Scarves, jewelry..?
9089110
I'd guess that's a bit of everything. Boots, scarves, hats etc.
I'd have said Rarity/Dash. But, IMO, except for Fluttershy, Rarity is even more the outsider than Twilight. NONE of the group is the least bit into fashion in any way, shape, or form & Rarity more or less lives for it. She has very different ideas about parties than Pinkie (Inspiration Manifestation), isn't into the same kind of books as Twilight or Dash, more or less zero interest in the Wonderbolts or stunt flying, & thinks AJ is uncouth (Look Before You Sleep)