# Ideas on why people won't buy ash/hackberry firewood?



## jimbojango (Jan 12, 2011)

I've been selling the heck out of oak and my supply is getting somewhat low. I've been trying to tell people that my ash/hackberry combination would be just as good for "fireplace" wood as you don't need to worry about the heat value anyway. I'm selling to some "high end homes" and I understand they "want what the want" but still... hackberry is pretty wood and makes a nice fire. I also am willing to cut the price on it just to sell some, its easier wood to get right now as its IN THE WAY and pretty straight.

Anyone have some marketing tips or should i just pitch it in the ditch?


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## redheadwoodshed (Jan 12, 2011)

I guess oak has the best reputation.I am having the same problem selling hickory.I guess education would be the first thing to try,show them the btu's for differant woods etc.I know ash and hackberry both compare pretty good with oak.I was in K.C. last year and iI saw signs for oak firewood for sale.With all that black locust around?I saw where they were clearing some land and pushing up groves of black locust and burning it.Sur wished I had brought my saw!Either way Best wishes,I hope one day all firewooders make a little money.Helps to buy gas you know.


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## RVALUE (Jan 12, 2011)

jimbojango said:


> I've been selling the heck out of oak and my supply is getting somewhat low. I've been trying to tell people that my ash/hackberry combination would be just as good for "fireplace" wood as you don't need to worry about the heat value anyway. I'm selling to some "high end homes" and I understand they "want what the want" but still... hackberry is pretty wood and makes a nice fire. I also am willing to cut the price on it just to sell some, its easier wood to get right now as its IN THE WAY and pretty straight.
> 
> Anyone have some marketing tips or should i just pitch it in the ditch?


 
_
RAISE_ the price 50 % over oak. This will get their attention, then let them know you get a premium for these attractive woods because they light fast, produce a more desirable fire, and are environmentally more friendly!


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## jimbojango (Jan 12, 2011)

RVALUE said:


> _
> RAISE_ the price 50 % over oak. This will get their attention, then let them know you get a premium for these attractive woods because they light fast, produce a more desirable fire, and are environmentally more friendly!


 
hadn't thought of that. it IS pretty and white. Lights REALLY easy ect. and its nice and straight without the nasty Y pieces like oak


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## RVALUE (Jan 12, 2011)

jimbojango said:


> hadn't thought of that. it IS pretty and white. Lights REALLY easy ect. and its nice and straight without the nasty Y pieces like oak


 
I wasn't kidding. (this time) I did that with watermelons once, sold a half a load at a premium while 10 other trucks from the same fields stood watching.

People couldn't understand why.

Marketing.


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## jimbojango (Jan 12, 2011)

What gets me is they are just fireplace burners  if they were using it for heat i'd peddle the hell outta hedge  i have more of it to get rid of than any other wood x10


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## Mike PA (Jan 12, 2011)

Hackberry makes a fluffier ash that is a bit of a pain to deal with. I don't care for the aroma while burning hackberry, either. I don't know about your hackberry, but mine tends to have some pretty ugly pieces, just like oak. The straight pieces are nice and straight, it does light well, and is very light and easy to handle. I would think that for a fireplace, hackberry would be a good wood, as it does produce a nice flame.

I don't have much experience with ash.


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## jimbojango (Jan 12, 2011)

Mike PA said:


> Hackberry makes a fluffier ash that is a bit of a pain to deal with. I don't care for the aroma while burning hackberry, either. I don't know about your hackberry, but mine tends to have some pretty ugly pieces, just like oak. The straight pieces are nice and straight, it does light well, and is very light and easy to handle. I would think that for a fireplace, hackberry would be a good wood, as it does produce a nice flame.
> 
> I don't have much experience with ash.


 
my tree's are about every 4 feet. 40 feet tall and 10-12" with just a little top to knock off. its EASY EASY firewood  i have some big hackberry's that are like big oaks.. but these are ones "in the way" that need to go


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## dumbarky (Jan 12, 2011)

*You can sell a dog easier than you can give it away*

I have burned ash, hickory, and hackberry over the years. They all make very good firewood. I would rather have seasoned hickory, ash or hackberry than green red oak any day. However I have an OWB and have the ability to burn wet newspaper if need be. But for smoke reduction and Btu's I prefer anything seasoned. This year I have burned alot of eastern red cedar (old fence posts) due to a wild hair of cattle lot rebuild. I agree with the earlier post of raising the price to match or rival that of oak. Good luck


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## Mike PA (Jan 12, 2011)

Another thought is to throw in a few pieces and tell them to try it. Give them a few days worth and see if they like it. Tell them you are cutting premium fireplace wood that, while not as well known as oak, provides a better flame, easier to light, and is more attactive. Also, the ashes don't get as packed down and nice and easy to remove.


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## Swamp Yankee (Jan 13, 2011)

A tale of two oaks

White oak when seasoned and dry is top notch stove wood. Red oak may season but is a real challenge to get dry. It absorbs moisture like a sponge. All complaints I get about unseasoned wood, and they are few, are red oak that even though it was split, well seasoned, and covered has some how managed to get wet again and is back to square one.

Ash on the other hand I hate to sell only because I want to keep it for myself. It is great wood, burns hot, clean, and very easy to light a fire with. I have not one complaint from a customer in over 30 years about ash. 

Another favorite of mine though a bit hard to come by is Black Birch. I think it's about the best stove wood going in terms of BTU content, ease of processing, and time frame to season. I've found only ash will season more quickly than Black Birch. 

I guess a lot depends on the area you're in as well.

Take Care


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## komatsuvarna (Jan 13, 2011)

There probably just buying a name. What city slicker has herd of a hackberry tree? Probably not very many...and I bet they wouldnt know what one looks like.

I burn what ever I get my hands on. Ive been going through some hackberry the last couple weeks.....and honestly, Ill be glad when its all gone. It does burn good, but I like the sugar maple,cherry,hickorys and oaks better. JMO.


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## jimbojango (Jan 13, 2011)

komatsuvarna said:


> There probably just buying a name. What city slicker has herd of a hackberry tree? Probably not very many...and I bet they wouldnt know what one looks like.
> 
> I burn what ever I get my hands on. Ive been going through some hackberry the last couple weeks.....and honestly, Ill be glad when its all gone. It does burn good, but I like the sugar maple,cherry,hickorys and oaks better. JMO.


 
That could be true. I've considered just using a "hardwood firewood" tag instead of hackberry or ash tag. It may not matter much longer, I'm about tired of cutting wood for this year, next year, forever. I'm gonna let obama take care of me and buy my propane and foodstamps  yeah.. that sounds like a load of #### doesn't it


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## komatsuvarna (Jan 13, 2011)

jimbojango said:


> That could be true. I've considered just using a "hardwood firewood" tag instead of hackberry or ash tag. It may not matter much longer, I'm about tired of cutting wood for this year, next year, forever. I'm gonna let obama take care of me and buy my propane and foodstamps  yeah.. that sounds like a load of #### doesn't it


 
we might as well!! Everybody else is doin it.

Might try a mixed hardwoods tag....and knock a couple bucks off if you really want to get rid of it. I dont know about there, but here the damm bugs will leave a pile of hackberry dust if sets around too long.


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## 1harlowr (Jan 13, 2011)

If you are willing to drop the price on the ash/hackberry, then just do an oak/ash/hack hardwood mix with a smaller drop in price.


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## coog (Jan 13, 2011)

A seller up here in Wichita calls it _Hackleberry_.
I don't mind mixing it in with something better. I've had to cut up some big ones, lately, as the beavers seems to like chewing on them. Whenever I think I shouldn't be cutting less-than-premium trees, I think about all of the guys on this forum who aren't blessed with the trees we have in Kansas; imagine heating with pine and getting excited with the odd Cottonwood or Boxelder.


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## sawinredneck (Jan 13, 2011)

People around here are stupid Jimbo, it's all about snobbery! Oak is hard as hell to get around Wichita, it has to be brought in, so it demands a premium! I don't know what you are selling it for, but I got cleaned out at $125 a rick, could have sold more, but with my back all messed up it was best for me to quit while I was ahead.
Look at the stupid bundles sold at all the Quicktrips! JUNK, but people gobble it up!
Label it as mixed hardwoods, run an add on Craigslist for $85 a rick, your phone will blow up! Tell them it's good and seasoned, it's a mix of Hackberry, Ash, Oak and whatever you can come up with. "Some Oak" doesn't have to be much, but as soon as you say Oak, it's wanted.
Another idea, we used to sell the crap out of "mixed wood", pure D CRAP wood! Elm, Pine, Birch, Cottonweed, whatever we had, but we made sure 1/3 of it was hardwood when we mixed it. Sold it for $50 a rick and most winters did good to keep up! But it's a good way to get rid of wood you can't move otherwise.
I've done some other "iffy" things to move wood, bundle up some about the size of what they sell at Quicktrips, take a trailer load of this and hand it out to people at the apartment complexes near them with cards. We would explain how much wood they would get and we would be happy to help divide it up with neighbors and the more neighbors that bought, the cheaper it got for everybody. As we were giving the wood away, it wasn't really soliciting, but pushing the limits for sure!
Just saying, there are ways to move wood, you just have to think outside the box on times.


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## zogger (Jan 13, 2011)

*People are boneheads*



jimbojango said:


> I've been selling the heck out of oak and my supply is getting somewhat low. I've been trying to tell people that my ash/hackberry combination would be just as good for "fireplace" wood as you don't need to worry about the heat value anyway. I'm selling to some "high end homes" and I understand they "want what the want" but still... hackberry is pretty wood and makes a nice fire. I also am willing to cut the price on it just to sell some, its easier wood to get right now as its IN THE WAY and pretty straight.
> 
> Anyone have some marketing tips or should i just pitch it in the ditch?


 
I don't know from hackberry, but ash is very good firewood. Burns good, cuts clean, is a dream to split and is "pretty" sitting in the pile. 

Look for some poorer folks who need wood for HEAT, cut them slack, sell them that wood the yuppies don't want. Look around, ask around, so many people have lost their jobs the past few years, but still need heat. Maybe do some swaps, or just charity. 

Those yuppies sound like the same sort of people who buy "monster cables" or like fifty buck bottles of wine that ain't a bit better than five buck bottles. So..take their money from them, charge them through the nose for "oak" if that is the only wood they think is any good.

Me, I burn cellulose and lignin, I don't care what species it is, that is what is burning, cellulose and lignin, that heats up and dumps methane, and the methane mixed with oxygen burning is what gives me the heat I want. I could care less about ambience. Not freezing is good enough ambience for me, plenty cozy, and my used 25 buck majik automatic woodstove looks just fine sitting here.

Dang I just don't understand yuppies/rich people mindsets sometimes. But..I think it is perfectly ethical to take their money from them, they got way more than they need or most likely deserve, and they just ain't happy unless they over pay for stuff, generally speaking.

Ha! I remember a real long time ago we were selling into upscale Boston, you had to like deliver up elevators and stuff. The yuppies then would pay MORE for yellow birch than hard maple. They wanted that pretty white bark showing in their little wood bin things next to the fireplace. Fine, we sell the yellow birch, we burn the rock maple. Who cares, take their money from them.


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## YCSTEVE (Jan 13, 2011)

JIMBOJANGO

I live in Kansas too, let me know what ditch you throw it in.


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## YCSTEVE (Jan 13, 2011)

I would tell them that ash and hackberry have a nice aroma to them as they burn and they go great with a merlot.

I would also mention that if you load the stove with no shirt on it won't shoot sparks out and burn your chest or your bear skin rug.


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## jimbojango (Jan 13, 2011)

YCSTEVE said:


> JIMBOJANGO
> 
> I live in Kansas too, let me know what ditch you throw it in.


 
I have MILES of creeks with ash and hackberry's covering them! it is just that i would LIKE to get something outta the wood  hell i could have a dozer in there and spend a lot of money and have it cleared in a couple weeks. 

On the "yuppies" thing. I've been selling in Western KS and I'm starting to assume that only people with extra money will buy pleasure/fireplace wood. Maybe thats why they want oak. I also am charging somewhat of a premium ($125 a rick $225 a cord) for 20" pieces and am adding in the extra to actually make a cord. I would just like to be able to get 200 a cord out of the hackberry and keep selling it. I drive out there 3 or 4 times a week and anytime i go without wood its COSTS  fuel is to expensive to go empty for my "real" job


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## jimbojango (Jan 13, 2011)

sawinredneck said:


> People around here are stupid Jimbo, it's all about snobbery! Oak is hard as hell to get around Wichita, it has to be brought in, so it demands a premium! I don't know what you are selling it for, but I got cleaned out at $125 a rick, could have sold more, but with my back all messed up it was best for me to quit while I was ahead.
> Look at the stupid bundles sold at all the Quicktrips! JUNK, but people gobble it up!
> Label it as mixed hardwoods, run an add on Craigslist for $85 a rick, your phone will blow up! Tell them it's good and seasoned, it's a mix of Hackberry, Ash, Oak and whatever you can come up with. "Some Oak" doesn't have to be much, but as soon as you say Oak, it's wanted.
> Another idea, we used to sell the crap out of "mixed wood", pure D CRAP wood! Elm, Pine, Birch, Cottonweed, whatever we had, but we made sure 1/3 of it was hardwood when we mixed it. Sold it for $50 a rick and most winters did good to keep up! But it's a good way to get rid of wood you can't move otherwise.
> ...


 
I don't think there is much profit in $85 wood  at least not delivered out west. Been selling hedge locally for $70 though and selling some, not cleaning up but i also am not exactly doing this for money, i'm doing it for expense money and to get it off the edges of my fields and outta pastures.

And my oak all comes from just south of the kansas line off some ground i bought, it IS local  all bur oaks, and huge #####es at that


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