Firewood pricing

[moondoggie]

hope this clears up some confusion. There is air in the equation as well.


http://www.woodheat.org/cord-wood.html

 

[svk]

I always laugh about "ricks, racks, and ranks" when people advertise firewood. Although the jokers who advertise 1/3 cord aka face cord as a cord of wood should get thrown out of town.

Rank of firewood doesn't sound appealing to me LOL.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Another one of my pricing rules: Don't raise the price to a steady customer who comes back every year with one or two orders. The stability of their business is worth my absorbing any cost increases. If fuel prices jump up, a steady customer will probably throw in another $10 or so anyway.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Thats why I said pile. I meant a thrown pile, not a stack. A thrown cord's volume is related to the length of wood.


We dont have that up here! All I burn and sell is cherry, beech, red oaks, a bit of white oaks, and maybe some soft maple. I cannot remember all the weights off hand so I just use Red Oak as a judge.


The pre '97 super duty's are F450 equivalent, the '99 and up super duty's are the F250 and F350s. I have an F350 SRW with a GVW of about 9900lbs. That generation of pickup will stop that load once, maybe twice, then your brakes will be faded to near uselessness.

Something still can't be right. I've never run light duty Fords, but did haul a 28,000lb trip axle gooseneck with no brakes down the ALCAN with a light duty Dodge (2500 Mega Cab diesel). The brakes weren't all too happy, but it did it.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Another one of my pricing rules: Don't raise the price to a steady customer who comes back every year with one or two orders. The stability of their business is worth my absorbing any cost increases. If fuel prices jump up, a steady customer will probably throw in another $10 or so anyway.

I don't do discounts like that. The price is the price. Otherwise you get the "well I bought it for x price, how come you paid more?" when people talk. Or a customer telling friends, neighbors, etc its x price... then you've got to explain thats the "special price".

It also eliminates the "let's make a deal" customers too. I just let them know the price is the price. I've always had at minimum steady work so I must be doing it OK at least. If bulk firewood is a bit slow I always have bundles to make, logging to do and equipment maintenance.

Not saying any other way is wrong, was just my thoughts and reasoning on it,

 

[svk]

I don't do discounts like that. The price is the price. Otherwise you get the "well I bought it for x price, how come you paid more?" when people talk. Or a customer telling friends, neighbors, etc its x price... then you've got to explain thats the "special price".

It also eliminates the "let's make a deal" customers too. I just let them know the price is the price. I've always had at minimum steady work so I must be doing it OK at least. If bulk firewood is a bit slow I always have bundles to make, logging to do and equipment maintenance.

Not saying any other way is wrong, was just my thoughts and reasoning on it,

You make good points and if you can sell all you want in that environment then more power to you! In an environment with more sellers and less buyers you sometimes need to negotiate to get the sale.

 

[Tenderfoot]

Something still can't be right. I've never run light duty Fords, but did haul a 28,000lb trip axle gooseneck with no brakes down the ALCAN with a light duty Dodge (2500 Mega Cab diesel). The brakes weren't all too happy, but it did it.

Stopping once does not make it stop WELL. I live in stop and go traffic in fairly steep (by east coast standards) terrain. Just because I can do it once does not mean it is safe or something I feel comfortable with. If I lived in a rural area I would feel more comfortable loaded like that. I have no exhaust brake either.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Raising price to steady customers also requires an explanation and those are people who are counting on you. Do you want to lose steady customers? I don't.

A local restaurant just started charging $2 for a cup of coffee. Half the steady customers vanished.

 

[muddstopper]

I would just about bet those steady customers that left are the ones that go in in the morning, buy a cup of coffee, spend half the morning drinking free refills, and probably go somewhere else for dinner.

 

[svk]

I would just about bet those steady customers that left are the ones that go in in the morning, buy a cup of coffee, spend half the morning drinking free refills, and probably go somewhere else for dinner.

There was a group at the small cafe by my cabin that would be rude to the waitresses/gripe about prices, some would only drink coffee and the others would get the cheapest breakfast and they would take one of the only two large tables in the place for three hours each morning. Why the owner didn't give them the boot I do not know. I can't imagine she got more than $25 bucks from that table all morning and next to no tips while the other tables probably did $50 an hour.

 

[moondoggie]

I raised my prices. 95% of my (regulars) are more than happy to pay.

 

[Gypo Logger]

My competition says he stole all my wood customers, because the 36" wood I delivered won't fit in their stove even though they cut the rounds in half. They say it's a major piss off to cut a 2" cookie off an 18" stick and still it won't fit.
For some unknown reason it's really hard to get good help off the street.

 

[muddstopper]

My competition says he stole all my wood customers, because the 36" wood I delivered won't fit in their stove even though they cut the rounds in half. They say it's a major piss off to cut a 2" cookie off an 18" stick and still it won't fit.
For some unknown reason it's really hard to get good help off the street.

I cut my wood about 20inches. I say "about" because my stove will accept 30in rounds but they are to hard to load. Anything "about" 20in long works just fine. I usually have chunks I toss toward the back of the stove,, nothing goes to waste.

 

[chucker]

There was a group at the small cafe by my cabin that would be rude to the waitresses/gripe about prices, some would only drink coffee and the others would get the cheapest breakfast and they would take one of the only two large tables in the place for three hours each morning. Why the owner didn't give them the boot I do not know. I can't imagine she got more than $25 bucks from that table all morning and next to no tips while the other tables probably did $50 an hour.

! sounds like the Montana hey ... lol
always full and no place to get a seat for breakfast/dinner. "BS,ers and coffee drinkers"!
McDonalds, here we come!

 

[svk]

! sounds like the Montana hey ... lol
always full and no place to get a seat for breakfast/dinner. "BS,ers and coffee drinkers"!
McDonalds, here we come!

One of the best breakfast and lunch spots in the county. They quit serving dinner years ago so you can go to Mickey D's or Subway.

 

[moondoggie]

In an environment with more sellers and less buyers you sometimes need to negotiate to get the sale.

this is false I believe, if you have great quality wood and the correct amount of wood. Cut and split properly. They may not go with you the 1st year they call you and they may buy from the other folks the $120 cord of trash (filthy rotton poplar or the like))wood that's not even a half cord. They will be happy to pay you the fair $225 true premium Wood price you are asking. Or whatever the going rate is where you live.

 

[svk]

this is false I believe, if you have great quality wood and the correct amount of wood. Cut and split properly. They may not go with you the 1st year they call you and they may buy from the other folks the $120 cord of trash (filthy rotton poplar or the like))wood that's not even a half cord. They will be happy to pay you the fair $225 true premium Wood price you are asking. Or whatever the going rate is where you live.

I don't disagree that a good seller will still sell out. But it may take until February where if you give 5 or ten bucks a cord discounts a guy might be sold out in November. If I was in that situation I would rather be hauling wood in the fall and sitting in the fish house in February

 

[moondoggie]

I don't disagree that a good seller will still sell out. But it may take until February where if you give 5 or ten bucks a cord discounts a guy might be sold out in November. If I was in that situation I would rather be hauling wood in the fall and sitting in the fish house in February

In time a good seller will have repeat customers an will never have to lower the price. I have lots of people tell me they tried the other guy and that's why they called me this year. Then they continue to call you from then on. I have lowered my stacking price for the elderly or someone that just broke a leg or something like that. Just last week someone have me a $50 tip. They were so happy with the wood i brought.

 

[svk]

In time a good seller will have repeat customers an will never have to lower the price. I have lots of people tell me they tried the other guy and that's why they called me this year. Then they continue to call you from then on. I have lowered my stacking price for the elderly or someone that just broke a leg or something like that. Just last week someone have me a $50 tip. They were so happy with the wood i brought.

That's awesome!

 

[benp]

In time a good seller will have repeat customers an will never have to lower the price. I have lots of people tell me they tried the other guy and that's why they called me this year. Then they continue to call you from then on. I have lowered my stacking price for the elderly or someone that just broke a leg or something like that. Just last week someone have me a $50 tip. They were so happy with the wood i brought.

I agree.

We always tip our firewood delivery guy.....it's been the same one from the one logging company we buy from.

You can put a straight edge on his piles and he's generous with his loads.