# Where is the Fish Hook In Selling Bagged Firewood?



## wkpoor (Oct 2, 2009)

Talked to a retailer about selling bundled FW to them. They currently pay 2.50 for a 1/2cu.ft. bundle 6 small pieces. They sell these for about 5 bucks a bundle. Seems like this would be good money but I haven't been there done this yet.


----------



## TreePointer (Oct 2, 2009)

All the $5-6 wood bundles (usually .75 cu. ft.) I've seen in my area are kiln dried.


----------



## Coldfront (Oct 2, 2009)

You can get away with it if you live by a big campgrounds.


----------



## Curlycherry1 (Oct 2, 2009)

wkpoor said:


> Talked to a retailer about selling bundled FW to them. They currently pay 2.50 for a 1/2cu.ft. bundle 6 small pieces. They sell these for about 5 bucks a bundle. Seems like this would be good money but I haven't been there done this yet.



I studied this business for a B-school class I took. So for you to get their business are you going to sell it to them for less than $2.50/bundle? Say you come in a $2.25. The original supplier wants the business back so he drops to $2. You counter with $1.75, etc......you see where this goes?

Slicing up a pie into smaller pieces makes everyone go hungry. What you need to do is find a new place or customer base to sell wood that does not already exist, or you need to find a way to sell quality wood for more than the average schmoe on the street is charging.

A good rule to live by in business is that you cannot win in a commodity business if you are not the absolute cheapest supplier. Someone that can produce it cheaper is going to come along and undercut you the first chance they can. If you cannot be the cheapest, then you need to add value to your product that nobody else can add and as such charge a higher price.

The hook in the bag firewood business is that Joe Schmoe with a pickup and an axe is going to take your business from you as soon as you get it.

I sold bulk quantities of firewood to people that heated with it and I let them have a payment plan. I delivered 10 face cords for between $300 and $450 and I let them pay me (if they wanted) in up to 6 payments spread out over as much as 6 months. Some paid all at once, but about 50% took the payment plan. I had all the business in the summer I could handle and I sold 30-50 face cords per week (in 10 cord loads only) in the summer. Much of the wood was cut in the winter, just not split. My angle was that they did not have to shell out a lot of $$$ all at once. This was back in the early 1980s so the price of the wood would be higher now.


----------



## wkpoor (Oct 2, 2009)

> I studied this business for a B-school class I took. So for you to get their business are you going to sell it to them for less than $2.50/bundle? Say you come in a $2.25. The original supplier wants the business back so he drops to $2. You counter with $1.75, etc......you see where this goes?
> 
> Slicing up a pie into smaller pieces makes everyone go hungry. What you need to do is find a new place or customer base to sell wood that does not already exist, or you need to find a way to sell quality wood for more than the average schmoe on the street is charging.
> 
> ...


Yep I offered to do em for 2.00. And I am that Joe Schmoe in a way. I might do a couple loads and decide its too much work also. I know many have been there done that before me so I thought it would be interesting to hear what others have to say.


----------



## CRThomas (Jul 20, 2011)

*Bag firewood*

I do bagged firewood $5.00 delivered $3.00 you pickup. We stop and talk to our customers most are old and want some body to talk to. My grand son delivers 6 to 8 hours a day summer and winter. We don't advertise or have a place set up we do it out of our home. There is a good business in firewood. Most firewood venders want dump and go. My grandson even gets little jobs on the side from it. Later


----------



## RandyMac (Jul 20, 2011)

Back in the'80s, I teamed up with a guy who sold firewood to all the condos and apartments near Lake Tahoe. He used heavy duty wheeled trashcans. I filled them for $10, he delivered and was paid $50 a piece. The buyers liked the service, no mess, clean, dry storage.


----------



## STLfirewood (Jul 20, 2011)

Don't cut the guys price offer a .75 bundle for the same money. One average you will get 155 bundles from a cord of wood. How much wood can you cut in a year? I ask because I have found out that if you want to get a good price for your wood you need to have an account that Joe pick up can't handle. My biggest account is around 75-80 cords a year. Your normal guy workingn a 9-5 can't do that much wood and have it on hand every week through rain,sleet ,snow,and now 100 degree weather. The price of wood really goes up when you cut the very little guy out. I have turned down some bagged firewood this year. I just didn't have the supply and I am not set up for it yet. But it was going to be in the $2.50-$2.90 range for a .75 bundle. If I had the supply I would take it on. One call was for 2k bundles. I didn't want to say yea and not be able to do it. 

Look for wood fired pizza kitchens in your area. They want to wood split small(2"x3" is max) It takes around 600 pieces to make a 4'x8' stack.The only good thing about wood split that small is it seasons really quick. A lot of the places don't know that they need the wood that small. The wood needs to be that small to control the heat.  You control the heat in a brick over with the coal base. You control the coal base with the small size wood. Take them a sample of good seasoned wood that size and see if they want to switch. Restraunts are leary about switching suppliers if you are unproven. If you don't supply they can't cook. Take them pictures of your wood lot even let them come out and see your supply. They need to know that you aren't going to run out. The only good thing about wood split that small is it seasons really quick. 

Try making some swedish candles and selling them. Make sure they are dry. I'm going to kiln dry some candles pretty soon and take them to a wine bar that buys wood from me. They think they can rent a patio spot this fall to people to drink their wine and eat cheese with a cool swedish candle burning. I'm hoping to be able to sell them for $10. We'll see what happens


----------



## D&B Mack (Jul 21, 2011)

wkpoor said:


> Talked to a retailer about selling bundled FW to them. They currently pay 2.50 for a 1/2cu.ft. bundle 6 small pieces. They sell these for about 5 bucks a bundle. Seems like this would be good money but I haven't been there done this yet.


 
If you are thinking about getting into selling bundles, I would say go for it. Here is what I have learned over the past year and a half.

1. You have to be a salesman, if you are starting small you will be competing against some big companies that supply bundled wood.

2. I didn't get a customer for the first two months or so. Went back to the drawing board with my sales techniques. Came up with the idea of offering the rack and first load of wood set-up and delivered for free, then the customer would pay me for the wood sold when I came to re-stock. Cash flow is a major issue for businesses right now, this worked and got me a half a dozen customers in the following two weeks. You just have to be able to front the initial shipment.

3. Find your target customers. For me it has been gas stations, single owner and no current supply. Campgrounds haven't panned out too well for me, some had suppliers they were happy with and others say they can't sell it because their campers won't pay $5.00 for something they can walk around the surrounding woods and pick up.

4. Don't be so concerned over what the competition sells for. I originally priced this way, $2.50 to $2.85 per bundle wholesale. But if you give your customer a price range to sell in, some will sell for more than $5.00. Like one station owner told me, "If a customer is here and they see the wood and think to themselves that it would be a good idea to have a fire that night. Are they really going to go somewhere else to save $0.50? Most likely not. Know your costs, and sell it for what you need plus a profit.

5. I only sell the interior wood from my rounds, no pieces with bark. This is just for marketing and the packages look cleaner without bark and they tend to stay cleaner as well. I still haven't figured out a fast and efficient way for me to strip bark. I sell the "waste" wood as bulk firewood.

6. I sell wholesale only. Here in the state of PA, bundled firewood is not sales tax exempt like bulk firewood. If you sell retail, you may have to collect sales tax pending upon your state.

7. I do this as a second source of income. But I set up a company for it for tax reasons mostly, but also, the PA Dept. of Agriculture Division of Weights and Measures requires it officially. And if you are going to sell to gas stations, your bundles will be checked since they are coming by the stations anyway.

8. Make sure you have a consistent supply of wood. This is my problem right now. Noone around here has any bulk logs at a reasonable price, and now I am starting to run low.

9. My best selling month so far has been May, so don't assume Winter will be the best. Most of my sales are people having campfires or in their fire pit. My best sales territory isn't near campgrounds our state parks, but near upper middle class neighborhoods.

10. What I like most about selling this way, once you get some customers it is all repeatition and I like constant. Same customers, same delivery location. Don't have to drive through developments with a dump trailer in tow trying to find an address. I also make all my deliverys with just the pickup truck now. Once you get the sales trends down (and trust me I am still learning) you can figure out when to over-stock certain locations so you don't have to make so many trips.

Good luck, hope some of my experiences can help you.


----------



## woodman6666 (Jul 21, 2011)

wkpoor said:


> Yep I offered to do em for 2.00. And I am that Joe Schmoe in a way. I might do a couple loads and decide its too much work also. I know many have been there done that before me so I thought it would be interesting to hear what others have to say.


 
At $2 a piece I think you will grow tired of it quickly. Find a niche and raise your price at least a dollar.


----------



## woodman44 (Jul 21, 2011)

We have sold bundles for a few years now and do ok but it is alot of work. You may try adding a fire starter in your bundle to get more people. One thing we do for campgrounds is offer free adv. on some of our web sites and refer people to them locally.


----------



## Wood Doctor (Jul 22, 2011)

*Here are My Secrets*

Beating the super markets and gas stations is going to be the toughest problem. They have the one-stop convenience and locational advantage. People will often pay that extra amount to avoid a second stop for firewood alone.

I teamed up with a bar/restaurant owner near a state park and that seems to work. He sells beer, sandwiches, and other beverages to people who often buy refreshments in addtion to the firewood when camping. I offer the bundles at $4 apiece and throw in quantity discounts. The super markets can't match that. I also sell larger bundles of seasoned firewood (8 to 10 logs per bundle). Half the time the bundles at other places are green, hardly burn, and only have six logs.

End result is a growing business. Last year I sold 150 bundles, and I've already sold that many this year. I usually mix elm with cottonwood, maple, and sycamore. These work very well for campfires. If you sell denser woods, it is going to be tough for many of your customers (elderly and ladies) to carry them. Keep that in mind.

I use heavy baling twine and supply a handle made with 5" of old garden hose that I cut up. My complaints do not exist. I find it fun and great exercise.


----------



## woodman44 (Jul 22, 2011)

wood doc is correct location is very important. Our place is next to a major resort and we sometimes sell more than 15o bundles in one day.


----------



## TMFARM 2009 (Jul 22, 2011)

> Where is the Fish Hook In Selling Bagged Firewood?


just like a lot of people on here i sell wood to old bags too!!!!:hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## Wood Doctor (Jul 22, 2011)

*Commercial Bundler?*



woodman44 said:


> Wood doc is correct location is very important. Our place is next to a major resort and we sometimes sell more than 150 bundles in one day.


I guess I need to move to your location. 150 bundles x 8 logs/bundle = 1200 logs per day. That's at least 3 split cords, and at $300 per split cord, that's $900 per day.

I doubt that many firewood sellers are pulling in that much bread, but I suppose it is possible. Can you show us a Pic of whatever you use to bundle that much up? Last I heard, a commercial firewood bundler was worth at least a couple grand.


----------



## woodman44 (Jul 22, 2011)

here is the one we use I think it was around 850 plus ship


Johns Welding Shop LLC | Firewood Bundlers

We sell our bundles for 3.5 retail and 2.5 whosale. We normally do about 150-300 bundles per week but on bridge Day at the New River Gorge we do over 150 that day. I am considering getting out of it because I am not sure there is a future in it and there will be little on no equity in the business. We are moving more into fire starters which I think may have a future.




Wood Doctor said:


> I guess I need to move to your location. 150 bundles x 8 logs/bundle = 1200 logs per day. That's at least 3 split cords, and at $300 per split cord, that's $900 per day.
> 
> I doubt that many firewood sellers are pulling in that much bread, but I suppose it is possible. Can you show us a Pic of whatever you use to bundle that much up? Last I heard, a commercial firewood bundler was worth at least a couple grand.


----------



## oppermancjo (Jul 23, 2011)

Hi guys,

I just started doing bundled wood in Central Michigan this year and it's turned out pretty decent I must say. I've been cutting off of our property as all of the Ash are dying from the EAB. Contacted a couple of campgrounds this spring and one of them bit. The guy he had been using previously didn't tie his bundles very tight so they just fell apart and apparently he wasn't too reliable. The campground wanted softwood but all I really had was hardwood. I plan to work on a bunch of soft wood to prep for next year so that way I'm not giving him the higher value hardwood.

I sell it to him for $2.50 a bundle and he takes about 100 bundles every week to 2 weeks. My bundles are substantially larger than your run of the mill gas station variety. Am I leaving money on the table? Perhaps, but I figure as a first time supplier I can consider this a piece of base business. I run a Marriott hotel as my day job and we frequently do that. You book a few groups at a lower rate and then for the rest you can raise your rates higher as demand will then be higher as well. 

I wrap my bundles in stretch wrap and then staple a handle to the top piece. The campground has been seemingly happy with them. I usually deal with the owner but was chatting with an employee one day and he said all of the campers have been happy with them. I feel the larger bundle offers a substantial value to the product. When you really think about it, all I have invested into this is my time. On a per-bundle cost, the gas & oil for the saw, stretch wrap, and handle are quite nominal costs. To make my bundles a little larger and have happy customers is worth it. If this was my full time job however, that would be a different story.

I liked the comment earlier about only using the inside pieces for bundles as the look cleaner. I just may start doing that.

All in all, I'd say that if you have the demand in your area, go for it. Contact campgrounds, gas stations, grocers, or even just find someone that will let you put some in their yard with a cash box near a campground. I usually sell face cords in the winter but demand for entire FCs in the summer is pretty low. You may have to accept a lower profit margin with the bundles but you're still making a profit and creating cash flow.


----------



## blackdogon57 (Jul 24, 2011)

STLfirewood said:


> Don't cut the guys price offer a .75 bundle for the same money. One average you will get 155 bundles from a cord of wood. How much wood can you cut in a year? I ask because I have found out that if you want to get a good price for your wood you need to have an account that Joe pick up can't handle. My biggest account is around 75-80 cords a year. Your normal guy workingn a 9-5 can't do that much wood and have it on hand every week through rain,sleet ,snow,and now 100 degree weather. The price of wood really goes up when you cut the very little guy out. I have turned down some bagged firewood this year. I just didn't have the supply and I am not set up for it yet. But it was going to be in the $2.50-$2.90 range for a .75 bundle. If I had the supply I would take it on. One call was for 2k bundles. I didn't want to say yea and not be able to do it.
> 
> Look for wood fired pizza kitchens in your area. They want to wood split small(2"x3" is max) It takes around 600 pieces to make a 4'x8' stack.The only good thing about wood split that small is it seasons really quick. A lot of the places don't know that they need the wood that small.  The wood needs to be that small to control the heat. You control the heat in a brick over with the coal base. You control the coal base with the small size wood. Take them a sample of good seasoned wood that size and see if they want to switch. Restraunts are leary about switching suppliers if you are unproven. If you don't supply they can't cook. Take them pictures of your wood lot even let them come out and see your supply. They need to know that you aren't going to run out. The only good thing about wood split that small is it seasons really quick.
> 
> Try making some swedish candles and selling them. Make sure they are dry. I'm going to kiln dry some candles pretty soon and take them to a wine bar that buys wood from me. They think they can rent a patio spot this fall to people to drink their wine and eat cheese with a cool swedish candle burning. I'm hoping to be able to sell them for $10. We'll see what happens



Excellent post. Commercial customers want reliable quality and service and will pay top dollar to get it. Stay away from commercial accounts that are fixated on price.


----------



## Patrick62 (Jul 24, 2011)

*easy money?*

Second year here doing bundles.
My sizing system is based on what a 5 gallon bucket can hold together. Wrap the ends tight with stretch wrap. Works out to right at .8 cubic ft, and I wholesale them to two locations at $3.00 each. No handle is needed, just dry tightly wrapped wood split a little small.
I would not get into a "bundle war". Provide a quality product at a reasonable price. Previous supplier to one of my locations tried to underbid me and get the location back. Didn't work. Jeff told him that "We like our supplier"...


----------



## woodman44 (Jul 25, 2011)

How would you guys deal with this?

I live between a 4lane and a resort and have sold bundles for a few years on a stand in my lawn. The last 2 weekend a guy has set up in a truck by the 4lane at the turn and it is costing me. One simple way to deal with it I think is to park a truck there and put a sign in it at half his price and leave one of my kids there to collect money until the guy sees he is going to have to leave. (I have better things to do than sit along the road all day myself I thought this guy would to but it seems he has no life as he is there all day.) I would give the kid all the money for sitting there until the guy is gone. Any other ideas?


----------



## woodman44 (Jul 25, 2011)

Also I am thinking of helping sponsor this forum we sell fire starters, log splitters and fire pits. Do any of you know who to contact for the best deals.


----------



## CRThomas (Jul 25, 2011)

*Info on highway vender*

If he is on road way property call state police. If you need a licence to be a vender call county or city. Or just wait him out. I have this problem all the time. They rant and rave at the cafe about me horning in on there business and I don't even do what they do. They sell bulk firewood and I wrap it and bag it. They say they going to do that to I tell them a 150.000.00 will put them in business they think they got a big investment in a 2000.00 pickup a 900.00 log splitter and a chain saw from Wally world. Hang in there. Later


----------



## CRThomas (Jul 25, 2011)

*Another info*

Most people in business have to have cash flow. I meet them all the time if it takes the same amount to live as it does on your selling you want last long. I have good times and bad one's. I have enough to last me one year if I don't sell a stick of wood most of your venders if the miss a week they done for If your in to firewood for real you have to let customers you are 24 7s not when it comes grass time star mowing grass or what ever fly by nights do.


----------



## Wood Doctor (Jul 25, 2011)

*BBQ Cookiing Wood*

+1 on the wood fired pizza kitchens.

I also offer BBQ Cooking wood, which is premium hardwood such as oak, mulberry, apple, and locust. I sell these in 16-lb bags, cut in 6" to 10" lengths, about a pound per log. I offer them for $3 apiece or two for $5. So far, only about 50 bags have been sold, even though my price is less than half of what the supermarket wants for the same.

Again, I have no complaints, but sales are modest compared to campfire bundles.


----------



## D&B Mack (Jul 27, 2011)

Have two more things to add:

1. If you are selling 16" splits, you can cut them in half and sell for slightly less. E.G. Take your .75 cf of a 16" bundle (say retail is $5.00) and sell it as two .38 cf units of 8" (say $4.00 each). You are now getting $8.00 for the same amount of wood you were selling at $5.00. Market it as "Chiminea Firewood". Just figured this out in the past month. Instead of stretch wrapping, I bag them in a netted sack.

2. I make custom labels for each place I deliver to. So for example, if I deliver to 'Billy Bob's Sunoco', then I put his name on the label for the packaging. I don't sell retail, so it really doesn't do me much good to advertise myself. This is incentive for them since it gets their name out there. Now, by law, I still have to have my info on the bag or bundle as well, but I just put it in small print off in the corner as 'Assemble By...'.


----------



## CRThomas (Jul 28, 2011)

*Info*

Talk to Doug at Ramsplitters he has all kinds of different deal


----------



## sb47 (Aug 8, 2011)

I’ve been selling bagged wood for a while now and it’s ok money. I bag up the small chunk pieces I get from odd shaped leftovers. I get $10 for a 25 lb bag. All of my buyers are using it for smoking wood; the small pieces are great for the smaller pits. I can sit on the side of the road before a holiday weekend and sell 50-75 bags in 5-6 hours.
I also supply a feed store as well and they sell 75-100 a month. They sell the same bag for $15. The bags are cheap $0.23 each. Not getting rich but it gets rid of the chunk wood that can’t be stacked.


----------



## CRThomas (Sep 7, 2011)

*Need bag info*



sb47 said:


> I’ve been selling bagged wood for a while now and it’s ok money. I bag up the small chunk pieces I get from odd shaped leftovers. I get $10 for a 25 lb bag. All of my buyers are using it for smoking wood; the small pieces are great for the smaller pits. I can sit on the side of the road before a holiday weekend and sell 50-75 bags in 5-6 hours.
> I also supply a feed store as well and they sell 75-100 a month. They sell the same bag for $15. The bags are cheap $0.23 each. Not getting rich but it gets rid of the chunk wood that can’t be stacked.


Where do you get your bags all the places I have checked with you have order by the pallet 2000 is the minimum later


----------



## D&B Mack (Sep 7, 2011)

CRThomas said:


> Where do you get your bags all the places I have checked with you have order by the pallet 2000 is the minimum later


 
Online Fabric Store: Discount Fabric - Drapery Fabric, Upholstery Fabric, Apparel Fabric & More!


----------



## Dalmatian90 (Sep 7, 2011)

> Came up with the idea of offering the rack and first load of wood set-up and delivered for free, then the customer would pay me for the wood sold when I came to re-stock.



Think you'll find most inventory in your typical convenience is technically sold the same way -- by consignment.

Gas, newspapers, potato chips, soda, milk. The store only gets billed for what gets sold (or more accurately, what's not returned to the distributor), not billed now for what is delivered the credited later for unsold product. The gas distributors generally retain ownership of the gasoline in the underground tanks, the store just collects the money and is given a fixed cents-per-gallon commission for collecting the money.

Newspapers for instance -- they're usually picked up on Monday mornings (ever notice the Monday paper used to be the thinnest one of the week? More room in the trucks...and you always thought it was only because most of the reporters and editors had the weekend off) so as they make their Monday morning rounds they pickup any unsold newspapers from the week before through Sunday. Circulation then counts up how many were dropped off and how many were returned and bills for the difference.


----------



## sb47 (Sep 9, 2011)

CRThomas said:


> Where do you get your bags all the places I have checked with you have order by the pallet 2000 is the minimum later


 
I use the same bags that are used for sand bags. They come in all sizes and are priced accordingly. There sold in quantities of 100 or more. Of course the more you get the cheaper they are. Look online for sand bags.


----------



## arlen (Sep 10, 2011)

*Same bundler*



woodman44 said:


> here is the one we use I think it was around 850 plus ship
> 
> 
> Johns Welding Shop LLC | Firewood Bundlers
> ...


 
I have the same bundler it has the expanded mesh around it in a half circle. At first I thought it unnecessary, but thin I started mounting S hooks on the inside and outside of it and was able to hang stuff like handles, a wire brush to clean dirty wood and a shrink wrap cutter. I also put some flat splits on top of it to put on top of the bundle to staple a handle on it. The hand crank is easy to use I nave never felt the need for an electriic motor. David


----------



## CRThomas (Sep 11, 2011)

*Free sand bags*



sb47 said:


> I use the same bags that are used for sand bags. They come in all sizes and are priced accordingly. There sold in quantities of 100 or more. Of course the more you get the cheaper they are. Look online for sand bags.



If you live in a flood area where sand bags are needed at times go to your county garage you can get bundles of 2000 for free they give me 10 bundles so I good for a while later


----------



## Wood Doctor (Sep 11, 2011)

*Bailing Twine and Old Garden Hose...*

... that's what I use. Cut the old hose into short 5" lengths for a handle. If you use your boy scout knots, you can do it with one length of twine, threaded through the handle in the center. I tie up 7 tp 9 logs in a bundle. 

No complaints and lots of sales this year. :msp_smile:


----------



## CRThomas (Sep 13, 2011)

*Price info*



woodman44 said:


> Also I am thinking of helping sponsor this forum we sell fire starters, log splitters and fire pits. Do any of you know who to contact for the best deals.


I have a set price and never change My customers know what I charge. In the firewood business if you don't have back up money for bad times. I had to shut down do to problems some of my customers came to the hospital and checked on me. When I got out the was waiting on my wood. Love my customers. I got an old lady customer ask me to pickup her a bottle of wine and some summer sausage no problem. I set up at the farmers market. I sell out by 3.00 o'clock
And that is 6 to 12 4x4x54 bags roughly a rank a bag. I work on the bundle the rest of the time deliver after 5:00 o'clock in the evening. So set a time and place and stick to it. Customers like no change and they know where to find you. My pattern. I made just short of a 100,000,00 dollars last year proble small change for most but I am happy with myself. Later


----------



## Coldfront (Sep 13, 2011)

Are you saying you made 10 million last year selling firewood bundles? lol


----------



## CRThomas (Sep 14, 2011)

*No*



Coldfront said:


> Are you saying you made 10 million last year selling firewood bundles? lol


No I made all most a hundred thousand last year. I busted my butt thou. I will not do that good this year I all most ended up in hospital. Later


----------



## Wood Doctor (Sep 14, 2011)

*Rather Incredible...*



CRThomas said:


> No I made all most a hundred thousand last year. I busted my butt thou. I will not do that good this year I all most ended up in hospital. Later


Suppose you sold $100,000 worth of firewood bundles at $5 a bundle. That's 20,000 bundles.

Suppose you averaged 7 logs in a bundle. That's 140,000 logs. If there are 600 logs in a full cord of split firewood, that's 234 cords or about 350 pickup truckloads, unbundled.

Thought I'd put things in proper perspective. That also explains why you are worn out. Even with three men helping you, several splitters, and an automatic bundler, that's a lot of work. And, I'm not sure I have that many customers available in my whole metropolitan area.

otstir:


----------



## CRThomas (Sep 15, 2011)

*Reply*



Wood Doctor said:


> Suppose you sold $100,000 worth of firewood bundles at $5 a bundle. That's 20,000 bundles.
> 
> Suppose you averaged 7 logs in a bundle. That's 140,000 logs. If there are 600 logs in a full cord of split firewood, that's 234 cords or about 350 pickup truckloads, unbundled.
> 
> ...


 I have about 20 customers I sell a bag of 30 bundles to a week for $2.50 a bundle they sell them to the people who live around them for $5.00 supplement there income good for them and good for me. I made $38.00 just on that. I don't know with out counting the customers that buy one a day ever day of the year. If they come and pick them up. They want to help me and they do. They had the big bonfire at the park I took my bad wood over for them. I have people come from St Louis 100 miles away to buy the bags full of wrapped. If you do your customers right you will get more than you can handle. Give them different samples to try. Throw a little cherry or fruit wood in the bundle. I get calls from my customers they just want to talk and I always got time later


----------



## Wood Doctor (Sep 16, 2011)

*That's a Good Business...*



CRThomas said:


> I have about 20 customers I sell a bag of 30 bundles to a week for $2.50 a bundle they sell them to the people who live around them for $5.00 supplement there income good for them and good for me. I made $38.00 just on that. I don't know with out counting the customers that buy one a day ever day of the year. If they come and pick them up. They want to help me and they do. They had the big bonfire at the park I took my bad wood over for them. I have people come from St Louis 100 miles away to buy the bags full of wrapped. If you do your customers right you will get more than you can handle. Give them different samples to try. Throw a little cherry or fruit wood in the bundle. I get calls from my customers they just want to talk and I always got time later.


Sounds marvelous, and I can see why you wore yourself out. How many people were helping you do all this? It seems impossible that one man could sell that many bundles alone with one splitter, a couple of saws, one truck, one bundler, etc.

I also throw in a couple of pieces of premium hardwood in addition to cottonwood and linden. Turns out that the mixture makes a really good campfire. Most of my customers buy two or three bundles at a time for an evening fire. Several cook breakfast the next morning with whatever is left.

There are redeeming qualities of all this. The main park where the compers rest is only a half a mile from where I split and bundle the firewood. I can often smell the smoke from the fire where my wood is burning. Then I think to myself, "I bet I made their day today." It brings back memories of my boy scout days.


----------



## CRThomas (Sep 16, 2011)

*Return answer*



Wood Doctor said:


> Sounds marvelous, and I can see why you wore yourself out. How many people were helping you do all this? It seems impossible that one man could sell that many bundles alone with one splitter, a couple of saws, one truck, one bundler, etc.
> 
> I also throw in a couple of pieces of premium hardwood in addition to cottonwood and linden. Turns out that the mixture makes a really good campfire. Most of my customers buy two or three bundles at a time for an evening fire. Several cook breakfast the next morning with whatever is left.
> 
> There are redeeming qualities of all this. The main park where the compers rest is only a half a mile from where I split and bundle the firewood. I can often smell the smoke from the fire where my wood is burning. Then I think to myself, "I bet I made their day today." It brings back memories of my boy scout days.


 I have there trucks three trailers two log splitters two wrappers and two hundred bags on hand I buy stretch wrap by the double case. My 30 ton splits in the yard and the 20 ton finishs In side and going to order another 30 three point from Ramsplitter I have one tractor and one three ton fork lift. My day starts before day light and ends at dark my one log splitter is electric so I can work at night and not wake the people next doors. Later


----------



## indiansprings (Sep 16, 2011)

I had a competitor try it in my area and it didn't work out for him, it's just too rural of area. Not enough demand. If I were going to be in the bundle business I would invest in a bundler, I was over at the competitors a couple of times watching his wife bundle the wood manually, she was just placing the wood in a five gallon bucket and tying it with twine, then taking it out and shrink wrapping it. Way too much labor and time involved in it to do it manually on any kind of scale. I wish we had the market, seems like it could have a good ROI, if you had the base. I know last time I was in Rocky Mtn. Ntl Park you had to buy wood from their approved supplier only, supposedly certified bug free. It was dry pine and burned in about 15 minutes or less.lol


----------



## CRThomas (Sep 16, 2011)

*Info*



indiansprings said:


> I had a competitor try it in my area and it didn't work out for him, it's just too rural of area. Not enough demand. If I were going to be in the bundle business I would invest in a bundler, I was over at the competitors a couple of times watching his wife bundle the wood manually, she was just placing the wood in a five gallon bucket and tying it with twine, then taking it out and shrink wrapping it. Way too much labor and time involved in it to do it manually on any kind of scale. I wish we had the market, seems like it could have a good ROI, if you had the base. I know last time I was in Rocky Mtn. Ntl Park you had to buy wood from their approved supplier only, supposedly certified bug free. It was dry pine and burned in about 15 minutes or less.lol


 Hudson has a small firewood wrapper for around $600.00 I have friend that has one of them for his own use. But he buys from me now and won't sell it. You have to train the people in you area to change. It took me a year but now my customers only know the easy way. You will have fly by nights come out of the wood work. When it gets cold and they need some beer money. Read some of my items on here how I treat my customers. People that wouldn't thing of buy bundled firewood with right approach make long turn customers. I make a comfortable living on it so I know later.


----------



## Wood Doctor (Sep 16, 2011)

*Bundle Too Small...*

Indiansprings said, "... I was over at the competitors a couple of times watching his wife bundle the wood manually, she was just placing the wood in a five gallon bucket and tying it with twine, then taking it out and shrink wrapping it..."
-----------------
That bundle is way too small. It would take three of them at least to have a decent campfire. Forget the 5-gallon bucket idea. :msp_sad:


----------



## D&B Mack (Sep 17, 2011)

Wood Doctor said:


> Indiansprings said, "... I was over at the competitors a couple of times watching his wife bundle the wood manually, she was just placing the wood in a five gallon bucket and tying it with twine, then taking it out and shrink wrapping it..."
> -----------------
> That bundle is way too small. It would take three of them at least to have a decent campfire. Forget the 5-gallon bucket idea. :msp_sad:


 
Too small is all relative to the user I guess. But most bundles in stores around here are .75 cf. You you fill a 5 gallon bucket with 16" logs, it comes out to .75. Just have to check the bucket first. :wink:


----------



## CRThomas (Sep 17, 2011)

*Size*



Wood Doctor said:


> Indiansprings said, "... I was over at the competitors a couple of times watching his wife bundle the wood manually, she was just placing the wood in a five gallon bucket and tying it with twine, then taking it out and shrink wrapping it..."
> -----------------
> That bundle is way too small. It would take three of them at least to have a decent campfire. Forget the 5-gallon bucket idea. :msp_sad:


 the size. Is what your customer can handle. Most of my customers are old people the weight has to be right for them they want a comfortable fire not a bond fire that's what they do at the college. You have to check what your customers need are then go from there. Camp ground fire wood is any thing and no class to it. For people's home it has to be wrigh when it set by there fire place


----------



## Wood Doctor (Sep 17, 2011)

CRThomas said:


> The size is what your customer can handle. Most of my customers are old people and the weight has to be right for them. They want a comfortable fire, not a bonfire that they lit in college. You have to check what your customers needs are then go from there. Campground firewood is anything and no class to it. For people's homes it has to be right when it sets by their fireplace.


+1. I agree (pardon the editing). Too big is just as bad as too small if the customer cannot lift the bundle. Actually, I think lighter weight is important, but you must have volume to back it up. Seven cottonwood or linden logs might weigh less than four oak or locust logs, but the customer can still hoist them into the car or truck.

Another important variable is ease of lighting and dryness. That's what makes cottonwood logs supreme for campfires. Just add one or two high-density logs to the bundle for variety.


----------



## CRThomas (Sep 18, 2011)

*About seed bags*



Wood Doctor said:


> +1. I agree (pardon the editing). Too big is just as bad as too small if the customer cannot lift the bundle. Actually, I think lighter weight is important, but you must have volume to back it up. Seven cottonwood or linden logs might weigh less than four oak or locust logs, but the customer can still hoist them into the car or truck.
> 
> Another important variable is ease of lighting and dryness. That's what makes cottonwood logs supreme for campfires. Just add one or two high-density logs to the bundle for variety.


 There was a guy telling how bad it was to use used bean bags I don't think he knows the whole story. He needs to know the whole story before he talks people in not using them. I use untreated bean bags and wood is dry in my dryer be it is put in the customers bag. If any body want the full story on using bean bags let me know they are a way to up your profit. Later


----------



## CRThomas (Sep 21, 2011)

*Info*



Wood Doctor said:


> I guess I need to move to your location. 150 bundles x 8 logs/bundle = 1200 logs per day. That's at least 3 split cords, and at $300 per split cord, that's $900 per day.
> 
> I doubt that many firewood sellers are pulling in that much bread, but I suppose it is possible. Can you show us a Pic of whatever you use to bundle that much up? Last I heard, a commercial firewood bundler was worth at least a couple grand.



I have to back him 300 bundles in one day is not bad. Before I lost my help I done 300 to 400 day after day. I had to drop my price to $2.50 cause the boss lady said at 30 percent profit and no help except my Grand Daughter once in a while I move a 100 to 150 day after day. My firewood business is all I do. I don't plow snow or drink beer or chase women. If I can't deliver on time I'm in a casket in the ground. I only do bundled firewood so I don't have problems with fly by nights who need beer money most of them don't have the money for the equipment it takes to run wrapping business so I don't do bulk firewood. Got to go my breaks over with. Later


----------



## CRThomas (Sep 21, 2011)

*Info*



sb47 said:


> I’ve been selling bagged wood for a while now and it’s ok money. I bag up the small chunk pieces I get from odd shaped leftovers. I get $10 for a 25 lb bag. All of my buyers are using it for smoking wood; the small pieces are great for the smaller pits. I can sit on the side of the road before a holiday weekend and sell 50-75 bags in 5-6 hours.
> I also supply a feed store as well and they sell 75-100 a month. They sell the same bag for $15. The bags are cheap $0.23 each. Not getting rich but it gets rid of the chunk wood that can’t be stacked.



I get sand bags from the highway department free 2000 in a bundle. I do the same thing P/U a little money and keep the work area clean. If you have a farmers market need to set up there. I sell as many as 300 to 400 bags wrapped firewood in 6 hours at $2.50 a bundle and all my bags of pieces.


----------



## woodman44 (Sep 26, 2011)

see this thread has slowed down some but business has kept up here. We did a record day here on last saturday. The guy on the road left and business is back to normal. My hats off to anyone that does bundled firewood there is alot of work to it.


----------



## CRThomas (Sep 26, 2011)

*Info*



CRThomas said:


> No I made all most a hundred thousand last year. I busted my butt thou. I will not do that good this year I all most ended up in hospital. Later


I am down to doing one rank a day. I give up all the park and camp grounds just do homes now they are a year round deal. I have some of the nicest look firewood bundles you ever saw one of my customer lady's said they were designer bundles. You fellows might try it I do Xmas paper wrapped under the strict wrap. Four of July, Halloween, new years, Xmas, labor day, all the seasons. You want a birthday bundle you got it. I got a lady wants her name on hers. I got a fellow that's a truck driver. When he gets home his wife has a trucking bundle. People eat that up. I can wrap a bundle as a design as quick as just a regular bundle. If I have to buy certain paper I ad that cost. Get your wife involved they get you on the right track. Like said try it later


----------



## CRThomas (Sep 26, 2011)

*Info*



woodman44 said:


> see this thread has slowed down some but business has kept up here. We did a record day here on last saturday. The guy on the road left and business is back to normal. My hats off to anyone that does bundled firewood there is alot of work to it.


Since I have changed my operation I truly love doing firewood in bundles. I am not tire at the end of the day. When my customers look at there wood and smile. Makes me glad I do what I do. Then I want to go back and do it agin. Later


----------



## CRThomas (Sep 26, 2011)

*Edited to new price*



CRThomas said:


> I do bagged firewood $2.50. We stop and talk to our customers most are old and want some body to talk to. My grand son delivers 6 to 8 hours a day summer and winter. We don't advertise or have a place set up we do it out of our home. There is a good business in firewood. Most firewood venders want dump and go. My grandson even gets little jobs on the side from it. Later


 I had to change my prices because the boss said so.


----------



## CRThomas (Sep 26, 2011)

*Kiln firewood*



Coldfront said:


> You can get away with it if you live by a big campgrounds.


 If you only do bundled firewood you do not have to have a large kiln drier. I have a 20 ft container and it keeps me in plenty of dry wood. I going to change a building over to half of it as a drier so I can use the heat also. Keep my equipment in side so it will start. I got myself swamp with wood when I bulk sold so now I can spend more time on selling and delivering.


----------

