# Heres my first try at selling some lumber on Ebay..



## CaseyForrest (Oct 27, 2006)

I havent listed these yet, wanted to test the waters, and make sure Im not missing something.

Im going to advertise these as Black Walnut 56" long, 8" wide and 4" thick. Minimal checking, largest check is 1/16" wide and 3" long. These have been cut, milled and stacked by me, with 4 coats of latex paint on the ends. These have been air dried, I do not know the MC.






















Am I missing anything?


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## 04ultra (Oct 27, 2006)

Price???


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## CaseyForrest (Oct 27, 2006)

Auction Ultra.


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## daemon2525 (Oct 27, 2006)

Price?


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## daemon2525 (Oct 27, 2006)

Sorry, I'll give a serious answer now. 

I am a wood worker and have bought a lot of wood (including walnut) on the internet.

The big problem is that it costs so much to ship. I buy 1" lumber from the next state and it costs as much to ship as it does for the lumber.

I just take the sell price and double it in my mind.

The wood worker has to figure the shipping into the price, and most do.

Make sure that there is not a big shipping penalty for being longer than 48"

Check your PM.


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## CaseyForrest (Oct 27, 2006)

I agree, shipping would be an issue. I was going to add in Local Pick-up OK.

Never thought about extra charges for being over a certain length, Ill check into that.


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## woodshop (Oct 27, 2006)

I rarely buy lumber since I mill my own... but as a woodworker one of the things I would want to know since they were 16/4 was how they were dried and for how long. It takes a lot longer to dry wood that thick. I have heard same thing daemon posted, that the problem with selling lumber online is the high cost of shipping due to the weight, and that extra cost they charge for long boards. 

Hey... go for it anyway, you might be surprised. What do you have to lose but a few bucks for posting it to ebay.


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## bookerdog (Oct 28, 2006)

*lenght*

I think ups will only ship 70 inches. Im not sure about fedx. I would think in the add you need to put green lumber and maybe the moisture content at time of action. Rough cut or planed. Those might be the type's of things. I would look for. I don't think much about buying lumber but someone that lives in a downtown city with a little shop might buy this way all the time.


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## hautions11 (Oct 28, 2006)

*Walnut*

I have never bought wood on ebay, but I have watched a few auctions on 48" quartersawn oak boards, just for fun. Nice figure will get you $6-$10 per bd ft plus shipping.

Search walnut boards in the completed auctions and see what you find. Gun stocks are a likely draw. I have a friend that builds guns and learned a lot about the blanks recently. Most desireable blanks have been dried 4-5 years. English Walnut demands very high $$$$. $400 to $500 is not unusual for a nice blank. Our black walnut is more common according to my friend, but $50 to $100 is not unusual. That is for a 3" X 28" X5" blank. They are always looking for the burls and the blanks cut low in the stump, to generate real wild grain. 

Give it a shot as Woodshop says. Set a decent researve and test the waters.


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## del schisler (Oct 28, 2006)

*selling wood on ebay*

before you list check out shipping It is best to make it pick up only That will make it clear to buyer And will limit the sales also Here is fed-ex which is the cheepes shipping I have been doing ebay for 8 yrs so know something about shipping http://fedex.com/us/services/shipinfo/packaging/ground.html
weigh the wood Any wood and pick a zip code that is far from you and figure that shipping For your info And also put the weight in the add and your zip so that they can figure the $$$ that way they will bid knowing how much it is going to cost del


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## woodshop (Oct 28, 2006)

del schisler said:


> And also put the weight in the add and your zip so that they can figure the $$$ that way they will bid knowing how much it is going to cost


Very good point... if I were buying, I would want to know the weight, and your zip so I could figure shipping and bid accordingly. 

I didn't know English walnut went for such a high price... gee... I have a 2ft x 5 ft long slab of English in my wood stash, been dried 10+years now, think its around 3 inches thick, have to measure... maybe I should try unloading in on ebay?


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## hautions11 (Oct 28, 2006)

*English Walnut*

I'll ask my friend about the best venue. I know he see's blanks at gun shows. I'll get specific dimensions as well.


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## Sawyer Rob (Oct 28, 2006)

When i was in the "gun stock blank business" i sold a LOT of blanks for over $500.00 each, and several went for $1,000.00 each....

It's all about each individual blank, not just that it's this or that kind of wood!!

Rob


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## bookerdog (Oct 28, 2006)

*Another good thread*

This is another good thread to add on to the milling woodworking lumberselling thread. It is great info. on how much diff. hardwood is going for in diff parts of the US. I for one have been interested in selling wood on ebay.


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## CaseyForrest (Oct 28, 2006)

Well, its done.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110049399286


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## twoodward15 (Oct 28, 2006)

Casey, CSM isn't known by very many people! You should write chain saw mill in the description. Someone will ask. You also should have started your bid higher. You will lose your shirt if someone bids a dollar at the last minute, assuming you get no bids. You've got 25 bdft of wood there. You should get $50 at a minimum. Let us know how it works out for you.


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## bookerdog (Oct 28, 2006)

*well done*



CaseyForrest said:


> Well, its done.
> 
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110049399286


Looks great casey great info. It looks like each pieace is roughly 12 board ft. Might mention the board ft next time in the ad.


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## woodshop (Oct 28, 2006)

bookerdog said:


> ...great info. on how much diff. hardwood is going for in diff parts of the US.


Sorry about your poor showing casey... nature of the beast on ebay. I think ebay is almost more "right place at the right time" than anything else. Like that ebay ripsaw mentioned recently.

I too was amazed at the different prices for same wood depending on where you live. Cherry on the west coast is a buck or two more a bd ft than on the east coast... etc etc.


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## CaseyForrest (Oct 28, 2006)

twoodward15 said:


> Casey, CSM isn't known by very many people! You should write chain saw mill in the description. Someone will ask. You also should have started your bid higher. You will lose your shirt if someone bids a dollar at the last minute, assuming you get no bids. You've got 25 bdft of wood there. You should get $50 at a minimum. Let us know how it works out for you.



Well, since no bids, I went in and changed it. I also added how many BF per piece.

Im also only into this wood my time and fuel. Itll be a good learning curve for when I actually may have money tied up into wood.


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## Four Paws (Oct 28, 2006)

Shipping to Idaho is $75...maybe that is scaring some away. Sucks that the wood might go for $1 and the shipper would make a mint. Looks like I need to buy some stock in the oil companies. Damn the man.


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## bookerdog (Oct 28, 2006)

*gun stock*

I just wonder if it would be a good Idea to cut them down to like 16 or 20 inches and avertise them as gun stock blanks. That would cut the weight down for the guy just looking to make one stock. Also maybe selling just one pieace at a time. Casey I see you didn't put a handling charge on them. So if someone does win the wood for .99 that means you would have to pack it and take it down to the ups store for .99.


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## CaseyForrest (Oct 28, 2006)

Ok, LOL...you all scared me enough into ending the listing!!!!

I can cut them down.....would 31" be a good length? Maybe cut them into 4" widths too....31"x4"x4". Hows that sound to all you woodworkers?

I know I wouldnt have bid on them seeing what the shipping comes out to.


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## smithie55 (Oct 28, 2006)

Hey Casey,
What about pickup only?
You might drum up some local biz, possibly within 50 to 100 miles, depending on the price.
Nice looking boards.


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## computeruser (Oct 28, 2006)

Craigslist? I seem to recall some folks selling lumber like that on craigslist around here a year or so ago.


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## woodshop (Oct 28, 2006)

CaseyForrest said:


> I can cut them down.....would 31" be a good length? Maybe cut them into 4" widths too....31"x4"x4". Hows that sound to all you woodworkers?


I've never attempted to make a gunstock, so wouldn't know the best size. Ask sawyer rob, didn't he say he used to sell them? As for prices they get for some of the special ones... check this out.

http://www.hunterbid.com/cgi-bin/woodauction/Auction/XcAPViewInCat.asp?ID=1


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## bookerdog (Oct 28, 2006)

CaseyForrest said:


> Ok, LOL...you all scared me enough into ending the listing!!!!
> 
> I can cut them down.....would 31" be a good length? Maybe cut them into 4" widths too....31"x4"x4". Hows that sound to all you woodworkers?
> 
> I know I wouldnt have bid on them seeing what the shipping comes out to.


I would think about 35""x4x8 would be just about right. Didn't mean to scare you casey. I think ebay is a learning curve just like everything. Also maybe cut down they would be good for bowls.


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## CaseyForrest (Oct 28, 2006)

Well, was telling my wife I cancelled the auction because the shipping price would probably be more than the woods worth....she suggested the same thing, just make it a local pickup only auction.....I guess Ill do that.


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## CaseyForrest (Oct 28, 2006)

WS, I hit that link.....those prices are crazy!! Some very nice looking wood though.


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## Kneejerk Bombas (Oct 29, 2006)

The other thing to consider is most serious eBay bidders don't bid until the last 10 seconds or so of an auction. 
Set your starting price at the least it's worth to you for your trouble, then let it run out. You might be surprised.
I don't know if you have a planner, that might make them look nicer, and what does it take, about two minutes?


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## CaseyForrest (Oct 29, 2006)

Mike, you are right. We had a good discussion in the Planer thread. 

If I had taken pictures of these as I was milling them, then Id be all set, live and learn.


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## Sprig (Oct 29, 2006)

Wow, checked out WS's link, never would'a thought! Maybe get the dimensions of decent blanks and do a bit of bandsawing? Two of those turkish walnut ones went for 2750.00$, crazy man! I'll never look at burled hardwood the same again :jawdrop:


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## aggiewoodbutchr (Oct 29, 2006)

I'm coming into this thread a bit late but I used to sell tons of wood on ebay when I was in college. The stuff that sold the best were small, unique pieces that hobby woodworkers would buy. The most I sold and shipped at one time was over 300 lbs of mesquite planks bought by a bow maker in Alaska. I just boxed them in ten or so small boxes shipped them individually. I listed a few larger pieces but only one or two sold. I stuck to the small stuff on ebay from then on and sold larger pieces locally.


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## bookerdog (Oct 30, 2006)

*water*



CaseyForrest said:


> Mike, you are right. We had a good discussion in the Planer thread.
> 
> If I had taken pictures of these as I was milling them, then Id be all set, live and learn.


Next time you list them casey Just spray some water on them with a water bottel. It will make the grain shine again.


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## CaseyForrest (Oct 30, 2006)

bookerdog said:


> Next time you list them casey Just spray some water on them with a water bottel. It will make the grain shine again.



I thought about that, just forgot to do it before I took the pics.


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## del schisler (Nov 5, 2006)

*ebay auction*

this is what you put This is a NR auction, highest bidder wins you listed it at $0.99 if i bid at $1.00 i would have won this auction Did you know that A NR means that any bid price higher than the listing is the winning bidder del


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## chainsaw1 (Nov 5, 2006)

Look into Fright shipping alot cheaper probley half as much.


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## CaseyForrest (Nov 5, 2006)

del schisler said:


> this is what you put This is a NR auction, highest bidder wins you listed it at $0.99 if i bid at $1.00 i would have won this auction Did you know that A NR means that any bid price higher than the listing is the winning bidder del



Howdy and thanks. Yes I know how Ebay works. I also know a reserve will usually turn bidders off. The winner got the wood for .99!!! Oh well, win some, lose some.


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## CaseyForrest (Nov 5, 2006)

chainsaw1 said:


> Look into Fright shipping alot cheaper probley half as much.



Maybe in the future I will, right now its more than I want to get into. I just need more experience and practice slicing wood up to sell it.

It all takes time.


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## tribalwind (Nov 10, 2006)

$66 to NY, 
yea shipping kills it alotta times. i once bought 500bdft of eastern cedar from SC, freight was about $120 i think.maybe less. so freight might be worth checking out for bigger orders.

you could try 2x2x24" blanks for flute-makers like me but were not a massive market i guess..
also might try selling as 12x12x4" bowl blanks for woodturners. 
also the MC isnt quite as important, i usually rough turn them green and then let dry/warp and re-turn to round. 
i ugess depends if they want to have to deal with still drying when buying..

i just picked up (5) 2-foot sections of 16-20" english walnut, someone was giving it away as firewood!!:jawdrop: maybe i oughtta mill it insteada using myself if its that valuable  
when i was about to leave ,she asked"would you have any use for these 10 year old cherry logs in my garage" ...! :rockn:


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## Andy1234 (Nov 10, 2006)

How about chunks that fit in either of the USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes?

One measures 8-1/2" x 11" x 5-1/2" and the other is 13-7/8" x 11-7/8" x 3-3/8". Either one costs $8.10 to anywhere in the US.

Might be a good way so sell odd ball leftover pieces to carvers and others..

FWIW,

Andy


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