Just starting in firewood sales

[Haywire Haywood]

If something comes up and you are going to be late for a delivery, call and tell them. In my limited experience, they appreciate it.

I sold a load of wood to one lady and delivered it when her husband wasn't home. He got there, liked what he saw and had her order another load. When I showed up she seemed surprised. She said she didn't expect to see me again. Apparently she had a lot of folk promise the moon and never live up to it.

Ian

 

[indiansprings]

We have sold 20 "full" cords or 40 ricks so far this year. We stock both 16" and 18" wood and sell both for $70.00 per cord delivered and throw out in a ten mile radius, stacking is 10.00 per cord more. 20" wood is $80.00 a cord and 22" wood is $90.00 per cord. We have some customers with Outdoor Wood Furnaces that don't require the wood split down very small and charge them less if they will take larger wood. We cut mainly red oak, white oak and hickory tops and with three of us using a splitter it takes 35 minutes a face cord (rick) to cut split and load. We usually cut cord to a cord and a half before doing other farm work. Wood sales have been soft in our area due to the number of people out of work and cutting their own wood and people selling as low as 50/60.00 cord. We just do it as additional income and a family activity.

 

[freemind]

If something comes up and you are going to be late for a delivery, call and tell them. In my limited experience, they appreciate it.

I sold a load of wood to one lady and delivered it when her husband wasn't home. He got there, liked what he saw and had her order another load. When I showed up she seemed surprised. She said she didn't expect to see me again. Apparently she had a lot of folk promise the moon and never live up to it.

Ian

I would prefer repeat customers. Actually, I would prefer to supply X number of customers, and not need to look for new customers. Saves a bunch in advertising.

Back when I started a small engines business out of the garage, I was paying 40 dollars a week in advertising. This was classified ads, not a space ad. That business venture was a flop, to say the least.

Guess I am having a hard time understanding WHY a person would go to the trouble to advertise, then not keep customers happy.

I know what your saying though.

 

[freemind]

We have sold 20 "full" cords or 40 ricks so far this year. We stock both 16" and 18" wood and sell both for $70.00 per cord delivered and throw out in a ten mile radius, stacking is 10.00 per cord more. 20" wood is $80.00 a cord and 22" wood is $90.00 per cord. We have some customers with Outdoor Wood Furnaces that don't require the wood split down very small and charge them less if they will take larger wood. We cut mainly red oak, white oak and hickory tops and with three of us using a splitter it takes 35 minutes a face cord (rick) to cut split and load. We usually cut cord to a cord and a half before doing other farm work. Wood sales have been soft in our area due to the number of people out of work and cutting their own wood and people selling as low as 50/60.00 cord. We just do it as additional income and a family activity.

Holy cow! 50 to 60 a CORD? Heck, I wouldn't fire up my saw for that. +:jawdrop:

Mine will be priced in the 200 dollar neighborhood.

 

[Peacock]

Where is Fremont?

I'm in Richmond.

 

[Haywire Haywood]

Back when I started a small engines business out of the garage, I was paying 40 dollars a week in advertising. This was classified ads, not a space ad.

I got my customers through a few Craigslist ads. I bought a newspaper ad once and sold exactly 1 load of from it. My wood is $140/cord and that is actually on the high side of average for the area. Wish I was in one of those places that got 300+ a cord. That would be a sweet deal, might actually make a little money that way.

Ian

 

[freemind]

Where is Fremont?

I'm in Richmond.

North of Ft. Wayne. I sit on the Michigan border. Gotta be careful how I spit

 

[freemind]

I got my customers through a few Craigslist ads. I bought a newspaper ad once and sold exactly 1 load of from it. My wood is $140/cord and that is actually on the high side of average for the area. Wish I was in one of those places that got 300+ a cord. That would be a sweet deal, might actually make a little money that way.

Ian

I first thought about buying a truckload of logs. With the price, I can't cut/split/haul for what little is left. I know I am not going to sell that many cords.

I talk to a guy in NY state that is a log buyer. They sell logs for 200 a cord. BUT the firewood processors sell from 300-400 a cord.

I could make money at double like NY, but here, I wouldn't make 25%.

Glad I have all the wood I can cut for free. Logs sure would be nice though. Much less effort.

 

[indiansprings]

WOW!!! It's unbelievable the different price's on wood, I'd sure like to get more than $70.00 a cord for good seasoned split red/white oak. There's just not a shortage of places for people to cut in our area. Honesty is the best policy we always add a little more than needed to each cord, that way we always have repeat customers.

Poultry house here are starting to use outdoor wood furnaces to heat their chicken houses, most are using debarked sawmill slabs at 10.00 a bundle, bundles that are green weigh around 2600 lbs.

Does anybody know how many cords it takes to make a semi load of wood, we've thought of shipping it to cities were the wood brings more.

 

[arlen]

firewood

Out hear in San Diego. I have advertised for free on Craig's's list, and word of mouth. I drove around to small mom and pop markets and offered bundled wood. I like to sell fractions of a cord. Less work and more profitable. If is also good if you can get the customer to come to your lot and help them load the wood. Some folks get $250.- for a cord of Eucalyptus I was selling for $180.- Than I raised my prices up to $220.- a cord. Soft wood like Pine of avocado sells for $180.- to $160.- a cord. Oak sells for $300 to $350 a cord.I sell bundles for $5.- retail and $3.- whole sale if you buy twenty or more.

good luck David

 

[freemind]

Out hear in San Diego. I have advertised for free on Craig's's list, and word of mouth. I drove around to small mom and pop markets and offered bundled wood. I like to sell fractions of a cord. Less work and more profitable. If is also good if you can get the customer to come to your lot and help them load the wood. Some folks get $250.- for a cord of Eucalyptus I was selling for $180.- Than I raised my prices up to $220.- a cord. Soft wood like Pine of avocado sells for $180.- to $160.- a cord. Oak sells for $300 to $350 a cord.I sell bundles for $5.- retail and $3.- whole sale if you buy twenty or more.

good luck David

Since you sell budles, may I ask how you bundle yours? Shrink wrap? Plastic fiber banding?

 

[GrizzlyAdams86]

I have 3 people that I cut for. (I my self don't heat with wood-though I should). One is a family in town w/ an add on wood furnace, the other is a farmer and his family w/ a nomanal-sized woodstove (named Mr. Whipple, after the man who made it), and the last family has a OWB. I sort-of helped with 2 already and 1 I learned about through a friend telling me. The woodfurnace can only take wood up to about 8" dia. by about 12" and I usually cut about 1-2 cords for them before winter and stack it in their basement and garage. Mr. Whipple, however has been getting at least 2 if not 3 truckloads of wood a week since Nov. He can take logs up to 10" in dia and about 18-20" long, but a splitting maul is at my disposal to use and everything gets stacked in the basement near the stove. And everything else gets piled or stacked next to the boiler. The first family has no means now of cutting wood themselves, the farmer used to cut wood whenever he could get time to, and the last family, well, the person who was suppose to handle this has become "preoccupied/busy" with other things. I get reimbursed by the first family and the farmer at $35 a truckload, but I give the wood to the third family, as I practcally lived at their house durning high school, I was over thre so much. Primarly I do this as a hobby, but also as a way to help people out as well. Just my thoughts...

 

[KD57]

We have sold 20 "full" cords or 40 ricks so far this year. We stock both 16" and 18" wood and sell both for $70.00 per cord delivered and throw out in a ten mile radius, stacking is 10.00 per cord more. 20" wood is $80.00 a cord and 22" wood is $90.00 per cord. We have some customers with Outdoor Wood Furnaces that don't require the wood split down very small and charge them less if they will take larger wood. We cut mainly red oak, white oak and hickory tops and with three of us using a splitter it takes 35 minutes a face cord (rick) to cut split and load. We usually cut cord to a cord and a half before doing other farm work. Wood sales have been soft in our area due to the number of people out of work and cutting their own wood and people selling as low as 50/60.00 cord. We just do it as additional income and a family activity.

Do you deliver to TX ?? The last time I saw a cord for 70.00 was 1973, and surley not delivered and stacked for 10.00 more. I can buy from you and re-sell, and use my spare time waxing my saws.
Around here people don't use it much for heating, and the 3-5 piece wrapped bundles and small pick-up loads is what sells the best. You see lots of folks w/ a trailer load for sale sitting on the highway, buy whatever quantity you want. Mostly yuppies living in the high priced condo's buy it, and then only when we get a cold spell. For instance, today it will be 80 degrees, won't sell crap. Sat, it will be in the 30's all day and a vendor will sell out in a couple of hours. People always wait till the last minute to buy it, and price doesn't matter much.
Selling firewood is a hit or miss deal here. We made good money in the 70's and 80's, but now, anybody w/ a pick-up and a 14" saw is a "firewood specialist", lol. Tree and stump removal pays way better.

 

[arlen]

Since you sell budles, may I ask how you bundle yours? Shrink wrap? Plastic fiber banding?

I use stretch wrap. I bought a hand crank wood bundler from John's Welding LLC. Than I staple a handle on them.

If I sell the bundles for $3.- each they are 1 cubic foot and a cord is 128 cubic feet than I sell a cord for $384.- dollars.

If I sell the bundles for $5.- each I sell a cord for $640.-


David

 

[bigjake]

With all the wood laying around from ike i still see from 130 to 220 a cord
advertised and seems some shady looking people .I dont sell wood i
just kinda watch out of curiosity.

 

[freemind]

I use stretch wrap. I bought a hand crank wood bundler from John's Welding LLC. Than I staple a handle on them.

If I sell the bundles for $3.- each they are 1 cubic foot and a cord is 128 cubic feet than I sell a cord for $384.- dollars.

If I sell the bundles for $5.- each I sell a cord for $640.-


David

Thanks.

 

[arlen]

Thanks.

You are welcome good luck David

 

[biggenius29]

Does anybody know how many cords it takes to make a semi load of wood, we've thought of shipping it to cities were the wood brings more.

I just talked to a guy today who sells 8' logs by the semi load, he says he goes by weight but he figures 10 cords.

 

[indiansprings]

Thanks for the info on the truck load qty, we've just contracted 25 cords of split 18" red oak (seasoned) to a poultry farmer at 70.00 a cord, we throw in five face cords at a time in his dump truck and he hauls it ten miles and we do it again, this is going to make us around 55 cords for this season, we are shooting for a sales goal of a 100 cords. Starting to look at small processors.

 

[Haywire Haywood]

I wish I had a feller-buncher and an operator for a weekend. What I'm cutting now is mostly under 12" and one of those could save me a pile of labor. Anyone want to volunteer? I'll pay for diesel and beer.

Ian