Where Does The Money Come From?

[white avenger]

We saw Angel (or more accurately, Cordelia) trying to keep Angel Investigations profitable, but Angel never seemed to care one way or the other about money. Spike told Buffy that he could get money for her rather than have her work at the Double Meat Palace. My question is, where do Spike and Angel get their money from?

Blood obtained from the butcher shop or slaughter house has to be paid for. Their clothes eventually wear out or get torn up, and have to be replaced, Spike's drinking habit needs financing, and there are all of the other day to day expenses that have to be met, so, where does it come from? Possibly, Spike still has access to the treasure chamber where he found the Gem of Amara, though we never hear anything about that after the episodes concerning the ring. If he actually was the Doctor, Spike's deal with the buyers obviously went sour, so, no money there.

So, where do you think that our two supposedly honest ensouled vampires get their money?

 

[brinkster130]

Not so honest ways? Just a guess but gambling, stealing, bribing....

 

[EVIL UU]

They get their money in the same way they get their erections!!!
​

No, but seriously? In a way, Spike and Angel are not real. They don't function in the human world, they're demons, they belong to the demon world and demons don't care about money, right? I mean, until season 9. On the other hand, when Spike is forced to function in the human world he just scares kids so they give him their pocket money or gets cash from Buffy in exchange for information. In season 9 and 10 Spike works with S.F.P.D.

Blood obtained from the butcher shop or slaughter house has to be paid for. Their clothes eventually wear out or get torn up, and have to be replaced, Spike's drinking habit needs financing, and there are all of the other day to day expenses that have to be met, so, where does it come from?

Blood, alcohol, cigarettes, clothes - all of those things can be stolen. Spike may not be able to harm humans but he can still break into their businesses and steal their shit, you know, like he steals Buffy's pantsu and whatnot.

 

[Napoleon]

Angel or Spike probably have some very old gold coins from England or something. Could get a a good price pawning them. At least Angel would. Spike would just steal stuff probably, before being ensouled.

 

[thetopher]

Steal money from the demons/vamps they kill?
Some vamps/demons do carry cash or at least value it (Merle and that demon in S3 'Enemies')

That would be my guess. At least on Angel A.I seemed to always be busy therefore it was bringing in a steady supply of cash for Angel (it was a unique service).

More pertinent is how does Spike afford all those cigarettes? Cigarettes are a pretty expensive habit and the way Spike smokes 'em he would've needed a steady flow of cash.
I agree with @EVIL UU, (unsoulled) Spike burgles shops/nicks sh*t and probably gets money that way. Plus he was some sort of underworld 'doctor' (sorry, but its canon- deal with it. Seems like evil Spike was, well evil) and a half-decent poker player (and cheats well).
And Buffy and co. paid him a few times.

Souled Spike? I have no idea, bar what 'Doyle' gave him in LA (did he get a W&H salary?).

 

[brinkster130]

I doubt their souls would stop them from stealing what they need. They aren't exactly rolling around in luxury....they take just what they need from someone or someplace that can spare it. Seems like something they could find fairly justifiable.

 

[gite63]

Angel left Giles's apartment and is living in other, he and Fred (who has just ressurected) traveled to Ireland, Angel went to San Francisco by plane.

Spike paid part of the rent of the new apartment he is sharing with Xander, before he got the job with the Police.

Buffy doesn't work, neither does Dawn. Who is supporting them? Willow? Is she still working, after getting her mojo back?

I really have no idea how all these people can afford to live.

 

[EVIL UU]

Buffy doesn't work, neither does Dawn. Who is supporting them? Willow? Is she still working, after getting her mojo back?

Who cares? No, I mean, seriously, do you read those comics to explore the fascinating world of...Buffy's day job? No, of course you don't! I read the comics to see my favourite characters shoot shit, research, beat the crap out of some demons and/or set them on fire, have sex with some other demons ( or the same demons, when it's, you know, Buffy ) and, at the end of the season, save the world. There's not enough page space to waste it on bullshit nobody cares about anyway!

Buffy has the money she earned working for Kennedy, Willow mentioned having an interview, Xander does construction or whatever, Dawn's in college, Giles is rich. What else do you want? Problem solved, ask two seasons from now.

 

[gite63]

Buffy has the money she earned working for Kennedy

Wasting a litte more page space 😛 - Buffy paid her student loan, plus months of rent with the money she earned from Kennedy. I believe it is gone by now. 

I read the comics to see my favourite characters shoot shit, research, beat the crap out of some demons and/or set them on fire, have sex with some other demons ( or the same demons, when it's, you know, Buffy ) and, at the end of the season, save the world.

Me too...

 

[Blaze]

There are two rules about TV shows. Money grows on trees, and no one needs to piss or shit.

 

[white avenger]

(Spike) was some sort of underworld 'doctor' (sorry, but its canon- deal with it.

Canon is that he was accused of being the Doctor. He neither confirmed nor denied it, and there was never any evidence beyond the Cardboard Soldier's (the same guy who told Spike that he would kill him if he ever came near Buffy) accusation that the Doctor even existed. Keeping the eggs for a friend is every bit as plausible (also just as unconfirmed) as anything that Riley said. Deal with that.

 

[thetopher]

Canon is that he was accused of being the Doctor. He neither confirmed nor denied it, and there was never any evidence beyond the Cardboard Soldier's (the same guy who told Spike that he would kill him if he ever came near Buffy) accusation that the Doctor even existed.

Okay, so Spike, the evil vampire who has said that he can 'get money' for Buffy somehow and still has no compunction about killing innocent people (see 'Smashed') doesn't scream his innocence loudly from the rooftop when falsely accused?

Give me a break, not only did Riley accuse him but Buffy accused him right at the very end of the episode. And what does Spike say? Nothing, because there is no defence, he was caught red-handed. If he had been innocent of being the Doctor then you better believe that he he would've explained it to Buffy because she is/was everything to him.

Deal with that.

The great thing about fan-wanking conspiracy theories (such as Riley's 'frame-job' of Spike) is that I don't have to 'deal' with it because it's insubstantial rubbish. 😉

 

[Mr Trick]

There are two rules about TV shows. Money grows on trees, and no one needs to piss or shit.

And you never see anyone use a condom! Well hardly ever at least. Pretty sure James Bond should have ASTD by now😉

Don't forget just because we don't see it doesn't mean it don't happen😉

 

[white avenger]

Give me a break,

I have tried, time and again.

I did not say that Spike was innocent, I said that his guilt was never proven. Accusation is not the same as guilt, no matter who said it. Spike neither affirmed nor denied any connection with the demon eggs, other than that he was keeping them for someone else. There was no follow up on the events of that episode either confirming or denying what he said. The event was never even mentioned again after that one episode.

Lack of proof neither confirms nor denies any guilt on Spike's part, and, beyond Riley's word, there is nothing whatsoever to connect him with either the Doctor or any foreign weapons dealers. I would think that if there were conclusive proof that Spike were guilty, something would have been done beyond just destroying one single shipment of demon eggs.

Also, Spike's lack of a soul doesn't automatically make him guilty, and neither does his statement to Buffy that he could get money for her. As I mentioned before, Spike might have still had access to the treasure chamber where he found the Gem of Amara, he could have planned on scaring more people into giving him money, or he might have started cheating at kitten poker. He doesn't have to deal in illegal merchandise in order to obtain money. We simply don't know. That isn't fan wank, and it isn't one of my very astute, well thought out, conspiracy theories. That is simple fact. We don't know.

 

[thetopher]

I have tried, time and again.

I did not say that Spike was innocent, I said that his guilt was never proven. Accusation is not the same as guilt, no matter who said it. Spike neither affirmed nor denied any connection with the demon eggs, other than that he was keeping them for someone else. There was no follow up on the events of that episode either confirming or denying what he said. The event was never even mentioned again after that one episode.

Lack of proof neither confirms nor denies any guilt on Spike's part, and, beyond Riley's word, there is nothing whatsoever to connect him with either the Doctor or any foreign weapons dealers. I would think that if there were conclusive proof that Spike were guilty, something would have been done beyond just destroying one single shipment of demon eggs.

Also, Spike's lack of a soul doesn't automatically make him guilty, and neither does his statement to Buffy that he could get money for her. As I mentioned before, Spike might have still had access to the treasure chamber where he found the Gem of Amara, he could have planned on scaring more people into giving him money, or he might have started cheating at kitten poker. He doesn't have to deal in illegal merchandise in order to obtain money. We simply don't know. That isn't fan wank, and it isn't one of my very astute, well thought out, conspiracy theories. That is simple fact. We don't know.

Riley knew, Spike knew and Buffy found out. That's enough for me without getting into semantic arguments about 'proof' or whatever. 🙄

You might not like it and go and live in denial land but it doesn't really change what we, the audience, are shown.

Most grownups are able to infer and make logical assumptions based on the situations that the characters are in without having to be spoon-fed every little bit of information. 😉

Yes Spike's lack of a soul doesn't automatically make him guilty of trafficking demon eggs, nor does Riley's hatred of Spike make him guilty of lying about 'the Doctor'- it works both ways.
We are told what we are told by three sides, and Spike's lack of denial is pretty damning in this case. Spike gains nothing by deceit-and its in his character that if something were to be gained by deceit, he certainly would lie.

His 'holding them for a friend' excuse after firstly denying that he had them at all, has all the hallmarks of well, y'know, dishonesty.

I find that more believable than Riley, an honorable man by all accounts, would partake in an elaborate frame-job or even throw baseless accusations around in the hope that they are true.

Also, about that cave of wealth that contained the gem of Amara, Giles and co found it without much problem when they confronted Harmony, so its more than likely (indeed logical) that the authorities found it when they were looking for the cause of the road subsidence and so placed all that wealth in a museum whilst Spike was chasing the gem around LA. (and then being imprisoned by the Initiative upon his return).

That's is an example of something that is 'well thought out' in case you were wondering. Instead of claiming character assassination because you don't like the events of an episode.

 

[EVIL UU]

@white avenger
OK, so assuming that Riley framed Spike - how did he manage to bring those eggs into Spike's cave without Spike noticing anything?

 

[Silverspike]

Oh I suspect Spike was meant to be 'The Doctor' but god, the writers really dropped the ball with that one. I mean a weapons trafficker and he doesn't even own a mobile phone?

Give me strength...

 

[thetopher]

Well I get not liking a story line involving your favorite character (hell, we've all been there) it's another thing entirely to play semantic games to somehow absolve them of responsibility...😕

 

[Mr Trick]

Oh I suspect Spike was meant to be 'The Doctor' but god, the writers really dropped the ball with that one. I mean a weapons trafficker and he doesn't even own a mobile phone?

Give me strength...

Yeah but Mobile phones were not as common back then and I don't see a Vampire owning one, but still I digress because I agree it was a poor storyline.

@Blaze Sorry you're going to have to be fill the old man in here what does LMAO stand for?🙁

 

[Silverspike]

Yeah but Mobile phones were not as common back then and I don't see a Vampire owning one, but still I digress because I agree it was a poor storyline.

@Blaze Sorry you're going to have to be fill the old man in here what does LMAO stand for?🙁

Well to do his job and have his clients trust him to carry off his side of the bargain, well then I'm sure he would have had to have had one. Spike keep using a public pay phone wouldn't have got him very far really. 😀