Firewood prices tumbling?

[avalancher]

I had very few calls this past week for firewood, and thought that it was strange. I got the sunday paper to check my ad, and to my horror found two new ads for firewood, both were 45 bucks a rick, 15 less than my 60. Sales were good up to last week, then they just quite coming.
Anyone else suffering from low ballers yet?
I still got my regular customers, but there is no way I am delivering wood for 45 bucks a rick for seasoned oak!

 

[Dok]

$325 a cord seasoned oak from the commercial outfits here but you can find ads as low as $170 a cord in the Gold Panner (free Friday classified ad paper). Often those cheap cords are anything but. Also plenty of "cheap" wood is described as a "rick", a "truckload" etc and who knows how much you will get until you stack it. There are always people selling wood for extra cash, but the commercial outfits have only increased their prices over the last few years. They are up about $100/cord from five years ago.

This is prime season for the guys who just want to make some extra cash. It will pick up again when they are done, which is very soon.
Dok

 

[Butch(OH)]

Around here prices will typicaly fall during the heating season. This year they are falling allready. Last nights paper, full cords $100, delivery anywhere in county $20. Slab is $25 for pick up loads. Realize that around here there is LOTs of firewood due to development, Ash borer and hurricane wind damage.

 

[Wet1]

Price drop -

I suspect it has a lot to do with the falling oil and energy costs.

 

[Mr. Firewood]

we were slamming until about 2 weeks ago when some guy posted up signs all over the area $150 a cord delivered. I delivered a load yesterday for $245 and the guy was suprised at the amount of wood... apparently the guy he had deliver wood a month ago dropped off about half of what I dropped off for $150 and assured him it was a cord

I am going to drop $10 a cord on delivery because diesel is getting cheap but thats about it. I am going to get the guy for $150 to deliver me a cord and see if it stacks out which I highly doubt

 

[avalancher]

I suspect it has a lot to do with the falling oil and energy costs.

I was beginning to think the same thing, in Sundays paper there was also an article about local propane costs, the third drop in a month,bringing the price below what was being charged last year at this time.
Hate to drop my price, I reckon I am going to hold my price until the beer money guys are done and see what happens.

 

[avalancher]

Around here prices will typicaly fall during the heating season. This year they are falling allready. Last nights paper, full cords $100, delivery anywhere in county $20. Slab is $25 for pick up loads. Realize that around here there is LOTs of firewood due to development, Ash borer and hurricane wind damage.

a hundred bucks a cord? I wouldnt even bother for that price. That is a ton of work and expense for a 100.00.

 

[Butch(OH)]

a hundred bucks a cord? I wouldnt even bother for that price. That is a ton of work and expense for a 100.00.

No chit, I am 52 and when a senior in high school a buddy and I sold firewood for $100 a cord. How about $20 for county wide delivery? Id like to own his truck instead of the one I have now.

 

[alderman]

Put it in perspective

I bucked hay bales for $1.35 per hour when I was in high school. Now it almost seems that bucking up a cord of wood for $180 is hardly worth the effort. Times and my body have changed.

 

[forestryworks]

i placed an ad for $200/cord with delivery inside of 20mi... three people have called but said no - and all of them didn't know what a cord was

 

[NDtreehugger]

The way I see it all cost are going down except electricity.

Propane was 2.09 its now 1.79 and falling into the winter months WOW.
Heating Fuel is going down
Gas is going down
wood is going down
Just the way it works.

Electricity will go up now to get everything they missed, then all the others will follow, first heating oil then propane, and gas come spring


it starts all over

 

[tomtrees58]

yep it $200 pr cord + $ 50.00 four stacking here on L I N Y tom trees

 

[blackdogon57]

Demand still strong around here and supply has dried up. Log length 150-175 and very difficult to get right now. Cut and split 350-400. We need a long cold winter without too much snow to the log supply back to normal.

The beer money guys are here as well. Classified Ads like the one below are common and make all the honest guys look bad.


FIREWOOD FOR SALE! $250
Price: $250.00
Location: Oshawa
Date Listed: 16-Oct-08
FIREWOOD FOR SALE!
CUT AND SPLIT THIS YEAR!
FULL PICK UP TRUCK LOAD 4X8 BOX ( 1 BUSHCORD)- $250
HALF PICK UP TRUCK LOAD (HALF BUSHCORD)- $150
FOR DELIVERY ADD $60
DON'T MISS OUT! WINTER IS ALMOST HERE!
HARD AND SOFT WOOD AVAILABLE!
DELIVERIES ARE ON SUNDAY, OR PICKUP DURING THE WEEK AT YOUR CONVENIENCE!
LOCATION IS NEAR UXBRIDGE!
PLEASE EMAIL mailto:[email protected] OR CALL (905) 999-8032

 

[treemandan]

a hundred bucks a cord? I wouldnt even bother for that price. That is a ton of work and expense for a 100.00.

Actually, its a few tons of work.

 

[Mike Van]

With oil half [or less] than July, a lot of people will reach for the t-stat before the woodpile. Some signed contracts for 4.80/gal for # 2 oil then. Right now it's 2.98. Thats sad. Most ads around here are 200/cord, I see a few for 275, but you don't know if they're selling any. Back when they were talking 5.00 fuel oil this winter, people were scared. I don't get that feeling now. Hey, gas is cheap again [ha ha] Those suv's will be rolling off the assembly line anytime now! All the soccer moms won't have to trade the Lincoln Navigator for a Hundai...........

 

[Signoflife]

Demand still strong around here and supply has dried up. Log length 150-175 and very difficult to get right now. Cut and split 350-400. We need a long cold winter without too much snow to the log supply back to normal.

The beer money guys are here as well. Classified Ads like the one below are common and make all the honest guys look bad.


FIREWOOD FOR SALE! $250
Price: $250.00
Location: Oshawa
Date Listed: 16-Oct-08
FIREWOOD FOR SALE!
CUT AND SPLIT THIS YEAR!
FULL PICK UP TRUCK LOAD 4X8 BOX ( 1 BUSHCORD)- $250
HALF PICK UP TRUCK LOAD (HALF BUSHCORD)- $150
FOR DELIVERY ADD $60
DON'T MISS OUT! WINTER IS ALMOST HERE!
HARD AND SOFT WOOD AVAILABLE!
DELIVERIES ARE ON SUNDAY, OR PICKUP DURING THE WEEK AT YOUR CONVENIENCE!
LOCATION IS NEAR UXBRIDGE!
PLEASE EMAIL mailto:[email protected] OR CALL (905) 999-8032

I've seen ads like this as well.

I would like to see a bush cord 4x4x8 fit in a std 8ft truck box, without racks. Even if you stack it in super tight you would need to have it piled about just under 4 feet tall all across (so at least 2ft over the sides)...Or thrown in any which way (which is more probable) and mounded...might be about 7 to 8 feet or ??? at the middle from the bed???

As well a bush cord of hardwood weighs about 4800 lbs green and about 3300lbs seasoned, so even if these guys sell seasoned wood that is a pretty good load on the standard 1/2 ton truck!

I know a guy who ordered a truck load of wood last year, advertised as 5 face cords of well seasoned hardwood per load... It wasn't even half seasoned, over a quarter was softwoods, and piled to just under 4 cord! I don't know how some people can sleep?

Bandits, they are in all forms of business.

 

[ms310]

I am seeing the same thing here. I have had a few people call and tell me i am too high that they can get it for $135 a cord delivered and stacked! I have told all of them that i can not justify the work, and the cost at that price, and when the beer money guy runs out in the winter to give me a call i will still be at $180 delivered in a 10 mile radius. Believe it or not most of the customers agreed with me that the guy was too low but, were going to buy from him.

 

[Ohiowoodguy]

Pro firewood dealers: Don't give up!! Last year I was nearly the only dealer in the area until December, this year there has been 16 others (beer-money hillbillies) advertising. When I call them and ask how much they got? they almost all say- Oh we got a LOT!, must be 7 cords ready to go! What a joke. I've also heard all the horror stories from my customers about them: frozen, green, unsplit willow delivered in a chevy S-10 with a tool box in the bed, and its a cord (just to combine the most common into one). All I gotta do is wait till they run out and it gets cold, and I can go back to $200/cord delivered & dumped (even that's low compared nationally) and end up with more repeat customers 'cause they realize they're getting what they pay for.










Sorry about the rant, gotta vent sometimes

 

[ropensaddle]

I've seen ads like this as well.

I would like to see a bush cord 4x4x8 fit in a std 8ft truck box, without racks. Even if you stack it in super tight you would need to have it piled about just under 4 feet tall all across (so at least 2ft over the sides)...Or thrown in any which way (which is more probable) and mounded...might be about 7 to 8 feet or ??? at the middle from the bed???

As well a bush cord of hardwood weighs about 4800 lbs green and about 3300lbs seasoned, so even if these guys sell seasoned wood that is a pretty good load on the standard 1/2 ton truck!

I know a guy who ordered a truck load of wood last year, advertised as 5 face cords of well seasoned hardwood per load... It wasn't even half seasoned, over a quarter was softwoods, and piled to just under 4 cord! I don't know how some people can sleep?

Bandits, they are in all forms of business.

I am able to get a cord on my long bed I figured it out by the cubic foot!
My box is 5'8" wide by 8' long If I stack it tight and mound it to the top
of the cab it is a cord I have stacked it on the ground and it is 4+4+8.
I am going to put some stake boards to make it easier and safer though.
Then I can stack it 2.8 foot front to back and should be the same my
old truck is 3/4 ton with 1ton springs in the back!

 

[blackdogon57]

I'd be willing to bet that if we called the guy in the classified ad and asked if his pick up has racks, the answer would be no and that he is selling half a cord when charging for a full cord. There is no doubt a full cord stacked to the top of the cab = 1 full cord.