Small time firewood sales

[jrider]

Theft is a big one but more important is liability. Selling firewood in an unofficial, unlicensed, uninsured way as most of us do means that any injury or damage that occurs while that buyer is on your property is uninsured. In other words, you will pay. Forget wood theft, you could lose your whole house!

Always deliver and even then, know that while you're driving or unloading that you are really exposed to major loss. You back over their dog or kid during the delivery and you will be losing your house!

Well damn, if you think like this you may as well never even step outside.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Well damn, if you think like this you may as well never even step outside.

I told a "slip and sue" guy once I had plenty of places and equipment available to bury a body.

 

[TysonH]

Im in your boat I sell a few cords advertising only in January and later as thats when most people are getting low or despirate and high prices are justifiable. We have had only one couple come up and while they're not people I'd hang out with they were two that went through life at the beat of their own drum thats for sure. The rest I deliever and feel this weeds out tire kickers or other questionables, if someone contacts and wants wood delivered they're a serious buyer. At least thats been my experiance.

 

[LoveStihlQuality]

I feel the same way you do about selling ricks or pickup loads. I also aint into having to stack and restack wood to sell it. While I dont sell firewood, I have the perfect dump trailer for the chore. Its 6x10 with 2ft sideboards. stacked just above the side boards equals a full cord. Throw the wood loose in the bed to 3 ft high and you have another full cord. Easy to do the math on how much wood is on the trailer. Deliver, back up and dump, get paid and drive off.

Or back up. Get paid and THEN dump

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[ChoppyChoppy]

I have not had success in accurately being able to measure loose wood. I've hauled wood to my house loose and it's varied quite a bit, like total load being anywhere from 1 to almost 1.5 cords.

I know 2 of my compete tors sell it loose and I've heard many complaints about being shorted. One for example has a 4x8x10ft bed and somehow figures that it's 2 cords, where it's more around 1.75 cords.
I've actually had several of his old customers call me back after I delivered to ask if I gave them a bunch of extra wood, their shed/rack/basement, etc was packed full and still had more wood.

Believe me I've tried to figure a way of not stacking. Short of selling by weight, I don't know a way. (Truck scales areally very expensive BTW)

 

[jrider]

I have not had success in accurately being able to measure loose wood. I've hauled wood to my house loose and it's varied quite a bit, like total load being anywhere from 1 to almost 1.5 cords.

I know 2 of my compete tors sell it loose and I've heard many complaints about being shorted. One for example has a 4x8x10ft bed and somehow figures that it's 2 cords, where it's more around 1.75 cords.
I've actually had several of his old customers call me back after I delivered to ask if I gave them a bunch of extra wood, their shed/rack/basement, etc was packed full and still had more wood.

Believe me I've tried to figure a way of not stacking. Short of selling by weight, I don't know a way. (Truck scales areally very expensive BTW)

I can agree with this if loaded with machinery and splits ranging greatly in size and length but if your wood is cut to uniform length and splits are mostly same size and thrown in by hand it is pretty close the same amount each time from my experience. I know it doesn't make sense but if loaded by buckets and dumped compared to thrown in by hand the placement of pieces varies and air gaps varies. I hand load everything, just tossing and it works for me.

 

[merc_man]

If i sell to someone who insists on picking up them selves i preliad on trailer and pull on road. That way if they get hurt its not on my property. And like others have said they dont need to know whats on my property. When i do deliver i usually only charge cost of fuel or min. $10.

 

[grapplermi]

I have not had success in accurately being able to measure loose wood. I've hauled wood to my house loose and it's varied quite a bit, like total load being anywhere from 1 to almost 1.5 cords.

I know 2 of my compete tors sell it loose and I've heard many complaints about being shorted. One for example has a 4x8x10ft bed and somehow figures that it's 2 cords, where it's more around 1.75 cords.
I've actually had several of his old customers call me back after I delivered to ask if I gave them a bunch of extra wood, their shed/rack/basement, etc was packed full and still had more wood.

Believe me I've tried to figure a way of not stacking. Short of selling by weight, I don't know a way. (Truck scales areally very expensive BTW)

I stack mine in cord increments after I split it, to dry. Then I throw it in my dump trailer, knowing it's a cord.

 

[johnnyballs]

First post and you got to my two main issues.

I would rather not have people at my place. I have a decent amount of wood at my house, while I have no problem sending someone away I would rather not have them come back when I'm gone or asleep. And it's not like I have a lock on it.

I really am not setup to deliver wood. But I could change that.


It seems like delivery is the way to go. I would like to deliver a cord minimum. Even if i lose some business I don't wanna fiddle fart with a truck load/face cord.

in the big picture, there are a lot easier ways to make a few bucks extra cash...but some of us tree guys just like doing it...its more of a hobby to me but i'll tell you when i tell someone i'll deliver a "face cord" of wood for $80 and i get there and they say they only have $75...i feel like driving away...i still give them the wood but tell them i'm not splitting next year...but the people that give me $100 and say keep the change...i give them 'healthy cords" next time and they do appreciate it...

 

[LoveStihlQuality]

in the big picture, there are a lot easier ways to make a few bucks extra cash...but some of us tree guys just like doing it...its more of a hobby to me but i'll tell you when i tell someone i'll deliver a "face cord" of wood for $80 and i get there and they say they only have $75...i feel like driving away...i still give them the wood but tell them i'm not splitting next year...but the people that give me $100 and say keep the change...i give them 'healthy cords" next time and they do appreciate it...

Selling saws, if buyer tries to low ball, I leave. At that point it not negotiable.

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[lknchoppers]

You would make out better selling half cords. A full cord is one price, a half cord is more than half the price of a full cord and stacking is extra. My favorite is when people buy half cords and want them stacked, it doesn't take that long and you make more $$$.

I don't have many people pickup at all. The people picking up wood are cheap skates trying to save a buck. The people I deliver to are more willing to spend extra for stacking and/or tipping. I would rather sit on as much wood as I can until the really cold weather hits. Plan a route and haul two cords of wood into the city and stack out half cords or quarter cords (quarter cords are more than half the cost of half cords). Go back and do it again. Firewood is hard energy consuming, time consuming work, I have to be as efficient as possible to maximize my profit and keep my customers happy to return.

My delivery fee is already figured into the cost of the firewood, so it's always "Free" so if someone insists on picking up their firewood, they pay the same price as if it were delivered.

 

[olyman]

If i sell to someone who insists on picking up them selves i preliad on trailer and pull on road. That way if they get hurt its not on my property. And like others have said they dont need to know whats on my property. When i do deliver i usually only charge cost of fuel or min. $10.

you still have them knowing where you live,,and where the wood is....

 

[merc_man]

you still have them knowing where you live,,and where the wood is....

They would have to move my boat and rv to get to it. Unless they caried it out by hand. lol

I havnt sold to anyone the past couple years that come to my house and plan to keep it that way unless i know them.

 

[olyman]

They would have to move my boat and rv to get to it. Unless they caried it out by hand. lol

I havnt sold to anyone the past couple years that come to my house and plan to keep it that way unless i know them.

even then, in this day and age. people have loose lips......

 

[merc_man]

even then, in this day and age. people have loose lips......

Yes very true. They wouod just steal them too probly.

 

[TysonH]

I'm honestly in disbelief that some can charge for stacking, hey more power to ya if you can. I never have but I only sell a few extra cords in the peak of the season so I'm already charging what I feel is a premium price. Is this an east coast thing because I havent herad of this in California ?

 

[svk]

Stacking on site is an absolute value add and should command a premium!

 

[spike60]

You would make out better selling half cords. A full cord is one price, a half cord is more than half the price of a full cord and stacking is extra. My favorite is when people buy half cords and want them stacked, it doesn't take that long and you make more $$$.

There is some logic there; similar to selling bundled wood. The smaller quantity means a higher price. I know a couple guys who deliver face cords. Mostly cause it's easy to do that in their pick ups; they really can't do a full cord. It plays well to the folks who just want some fireplace wood, and people who don't have the cash to buy a full cord. The downside to keep an eye on is that you have to make 3 face cord trips to deliver a single cord so the extra money they charge needs to exceed the cost of extra trips. Honestly I doubt either of them get enough of a premium to really make out better in the end.

It's also smart to hang o to the wood til mid winter when supplies dwindle and prices go up. Especially if you have seasoned stuff and others are selling green wood.

 

[svk]

It's also smart to hang o to the wood til mid winter when supplies dwindle and prices go up. Especially if you have seasoned stuff and others are selling green wood.

Great advice.

Good to see you around here Bob!

 

[spike60]

Great advice.

Good to see you around here Bob!

Nice to have some time to post and hang out a little. Truth is it get so bombed with PM's anymore that by the time I'm done with them I feel like I ought to be off doing something else.

Plus the burning season is just around the corner and I enjoy spending some time here with the rest of you guys. Only about a month til "light up".