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+--- Thread: [RFC] The Vitamin Man (/showthread.php?tid=2225)
[RFC] The Vitamin Man - Bob Schroeck - 10-31-2008
Just a little idea I've had kicking around the back of my brain for the last few weeks. It's not really complete, but there's enough here to get
the idea across.
(Sidebar on Food/Trade page?)
===== The Vitamin Man =====
An unfortunate fact of life in Fenspace is the regrettably
limited diet available to most of its inhabitants. Although the
variety, quality and quantity of food produced in Fenspace have
both been increasing over the years, and imports from the Danelaw
have likewise increased, it is still very easy for a careless Fan
to suffer the effects of malnutrition. The problem is even more
critical for fenkinder.
It didn't take long after the first diaspora of Fen into space
for someone to recognize this need and act to fill it. In early
2008, Antonio Mendoza of Austin, TX 'waved a large panel truck,
filled it with all manner of vitamins and dietary supplements
purchased wholesale from a local supplier, and took off for
Fenspace. He was the first Vitamin Man, and became a familiar
face to the first wave of Fen colonists as he traveled from
settlement to settlement (and sometimes vehicle to vehicle)
selling his wares both retail and wholesale to those who needed
them.
As awareness of Mendoza grew in Fenspace, so did demand, and soon
several Vitamin Men were running their own routes. Most were
like Mendoza, being honest businessmen, but several became
infamous for price-gouging, and allegedly one was spaced when his
stock was discovered to be worthless sugar pills. Despite this,
by 2012 the Vitamin Man and his truck have become a regular and
welcome sight to Fen throughout the solar system.
Unlike some of his less-scrupulous competitors, Mendoza charged
little more than his wares would cost Earthside. Initially he
accepted American currency, but as it grew in short supply and
Fenspace's native economy evolved, he became willing to take
almost anything in trade, refusing anything he felt was
disproportionately valuable. When his customers had nothing to
offer was he was willing to let them have his wares on credit; he
claims proudly that almost none of the credit customers ever
defaulted on him.
For his first few restock runs he returned to his native Austin,
but after the United States grew hostile to Fen he was forced to
seek out suppliers elsewhere. After trying several outlets in
Europe, Mendoza eventually became part of the wave of Fen
activity which established Australia as Fenspace's "home port" in
the Danelaw. While his vitamin route has not made him rich, he
is comfortable and content, and as of early 2012 finalized a deal
with an Australian pharmaceutical company to license "Vitamin
Man" brand vitamins and dietary supplements for sale both on
Earth and in Fenspace.
I'd probably want to go into a bit more detail about Mendoza and his truck, plus I want to include a bit about him adding spices and herbs to his stock.
But this is enough to see if people like the idea.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.
- Norgarth - 11-01-2008
Sounds cool to me. Vitamin C pills will be important until people start growing citrus trees/tomatoes, and even after.
___________________________
"I've always wanted to be somebody, but I should have been more specific." - George Carlin
- Black Aeronaut - 11-01-2008
Benjamin is always happy to see another fellow Tejano/Texian and patronizes Mendoza as often as possible. ^_^
- Bob Schroeck - 11-01-2008
Okay, it may take me a while to move this out of first draft, but I'll smooth it out and repost when I do.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.
- robkelk - 11-01-2008
Hmmmmm... Mendoza's taking barter instead of cash in some markets. It would be foolish to lug all that stuff down a gravity well, especially since most of
his 'Danelaw suorces likely don't accept barter... He's going to need a storefront somewhere, to raise cash from most of those barter items.
Luckily, Fenspace already has a shopping mall - The Island...
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."
- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012
- Bob Schroeck - 11-02-2008
Pretty much one of the options I had in mind. Although I hadn't followed it through to its ultimate conclusion, which you have -- vitamins on one end,
pawnshop or thrift shop on the other.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.
- Ebony - 11-06-2008
Quote: blackaeronaut wrote:As half the crew of WW1 are also native Texans, they always have a six pack of Shiner Bock for the Vitamin Man when he makes it past the
Benjamin is always happy to see another fellow Tejano/Texian and patronizes Mendoza as often as possible. ^_^
Roadhouse. Although, after the base is officially transferred to Deimos and the Savage Amphitheater is opened, they grow a lot of their own vegetables (not for
sale, though). Still, a traveling salesman is a good source of information.
Ebony the Black Dragon
http://ebony14.livejournal.com
"Good night, and may the Good Lord take a Viking to you."