The Two Rivers should have stuck to dealing horses.

[MikeRiley]

We hear a lot in the series about how rarely people leave the Two Rivers. Merchants come into the Two Rivers to buy their wool and tabac. Everybody seems to be pretty poor. Fireworks are very rare, there's only one clock and all.

 

But we see everybody in Randland smoking Two Rivers tabac. We also hear a lot about how stubborn Two Rivers folk are and how good some are at dealing with horses. So why are they being continually ripped off? There must be an inside joke among the merchants buying the tabac for a few clumps of dirt and selling it for gold. "I just took that guy like he was an Emonds Fielder." If the Two Rivers tabac is that widely used then everybody who grows it should be fairly rich or else they're in the wrong occupation.

[Cirin]

Maybe their voyeur out into the world during the Last Battle will make them fully appreciate the widespread popularity of Two Rivers tabac, and they'll start a cartel that controls the sale of Two River tabac throughout the world, with Mayor al'Vere calling the shots.  They'll slowly weed out (no pun intended) the competition, and after achieving a monopoly on the tabac trade will hold their monopoly through manipulation, intimidation, and favors from certain interested parties - including the Dragon Reborn, the Amrylin Seat, the possible future king of Saldaea, and the Prince of Ravens of the Seanchan Empire, who all come from Two Rivers.  Tam al'Thor and Abell Cauthon won't become directly involved, however, and since Perrin's family is dead it will only be Egwene that will exist as a mob bosses daughter - which fits well with her personality.  ;)

[Fains nose]

I wonder if there are Randland equivilants to rappers rapping about weed, like if we saw some guy down at the Easing The Badger rapping about two rivers leaf, the sticky-icky, to the beat of a dulcimer and a stringed bittern or something

[NightfalconGTSR]

Thats a good question. The thing is its probably a very small amount that is grown and sold each year and when you are selling near the source it will be worth a lot less. Selling to a merchant you will not get much because they need to turn a profit. They probably could make a lot of money if they just went out and sold it themselves, but I dont think they care. It is amazing how widely known the tobac is. They are a simple people and were not struggling to get by. Well they werent, obviously it doesnt matter much now, though it is curious as to what will happen with the two rivers afterwards.

[DocBean]

Here's the thing: Tabac is apparently only really good from the Two Rivers.

so as it travels the price goes up. One Merchant buys a bunch, and sells or trades it to another Merchant.

Then that guy sells or trades it to another. Each time the price goes up, and the value of it increases because there is less and less available.

 

It's like Oil – Expensive here, but readily accessible in the Middle east, and you don't see those guys riding around in gold painted cards do you?

...oh wait. nevermind.

 

 

 

 

[Durinax]

like stated before, it doesnt cost much if you travel to an area where they arent extremely poor or rich to buy goods. what drives up the cost is the middle men moving it. lets say a person in the two rivers decides to become a merchant, they would make a killing since if they had family that grew it they could get it cheaper and no middle men, you could undercut the competition

[MikeRiley]

The demand is still high enough that the Two Rivers folk should be getting a better price. The tabac is grown only in the Two Rivers and it's smoked everywhere - even in the Aiel Waste. Demand alone should have saw to it with the number of merchants who would come down.

[Cirin]

It's all Fain's doing... as the only real merchant you ever hear of that travels to Emond's Field, he's likely got a monopoly on the trade of Two Rivers tabac.  Probably how he first became a Darkfriend, the Dark One trying to use him to kill the world via second-hand smoke...

 

...the Dark One's plots are slowly becoming uncovered...

 

[MikeRiley]

Fain wasn't the only one and from Perrin's thoughts in The Shadow Rising merchants came down regularly to deal with them. It was when he was thinking about how everybody grew tabac and kept sheep while he was wandering around after leaving the waygate. Probably while looking at Tam's farm.

[balefired-ed2]

Why are we so sure that Two Rivers folk are poor? Sure, they may not be the richest folk in Randland, but we dont have any evidence of poverty throughout any of the region. In fact, I cant think of a mention of any person in the entire region that either does not either have a viable trade or owns a farm. Also, this has been a duty free territory for what, seven generations now? I think they are doing alright.

 

P.S.- Who cares that they only have one clock? In an agrarian economy they have no need to know what the time is precisely. It isnt like they need to know when to catch the train to get to the factory.

[Durinax]

Why are we so sure that Two Rivers folk are poor? Sure, they may not be the richest folk in Randland, but we dont have any evidence of poverty throughout any of the region. In fact, I cant think of a mention of any person in the entire region that either does not either have a viable trade or owns a farm. Also, this has been a duty free territory for what, seven generations now? I think they are doing alright.

 

P.S.- Who cares that they only have one clock? In an agrarian economy they have no need to know what the time is precisely. It isnt like they need to know when to catch the train to get to the factory.

plusthey must have enough money to rebuild time and time again when a disaster strikes

[MikeRiley]

The clock is important because time and again it is noted by the Emond's Fielders as a symbol of wealth. They measure wealth by how many clocks are present and it was made clear there was only one in the whole Two Rivers.

 

They can't afford to bring gleemen in very often. Fireworks are too expensive. Books are scarce. They come off to me as in the "scraping by" class. Perrin even says that most of them have to grow tabac as well as raise sheep.

[Durinax]

The clock is important because time and again it is noted by the Emond's Fielders as a symbol of wealth. They measure wealth by how many clocks are present and it was made clear there was only one in the whole Two Rivers.

 

They can't afford to bring gleemen in very often. Fireworks are too expensive. Books are scarce. They come off to me as in the "scraping by" class. Perrin even says that most of them have to grow tabac as well as raise sheep.

well clocks would be expensive cause they would have to be brought in from a long ways away, gleemen same thing plus they are a small village with only one way in or out of the area so gleemen would go to other more lucrative places by choice, Books are very expensive and since they are a very industrious people they dont have much time for reading