First firewood sales of the season

[alderman]

Sold a cord yesterday and a small pickup load today.
Things are looking up.
Now I've got some mad money for a new (to me) saw or a Thompson Contender barrel.


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[Sandhill Crane]

Does the Thompson mount on your splitter to load splits on the truck?

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

You made ~$500 off 1.25 cords?

 

[alderman]

I didn't make that much but should be able to find a used Shindaiwa to fix up for $160 or a used Contender barrel for that.


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[Jere39]

Curious. I'm sold out. Not all delivered yet, but all bought and paid for.

 

[alderman]

The guy who bought the pickup load today had his wood stacked outside in the rain and needed to buy some dry wood to burn.
I live away from town so they usually don't contact me until they get desperate.


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[Big_Al]

First sale? We sold out last week, first big snow & cold spell.

 

[unclemoustache]

I'm sold out too, but I only had about 7 cords instead of my usual 10. Still have about 60 bundles left. Nice to have that extra cash.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Not possible for me to "sell out". We try to keep at least 30-40 cords of logs stockpiled. Have maybe 250 cords right now. If it gets low, just means hauling some from the woods.

Right now I'm about 60 cords behind on orders. Hoping to give it hell once I get rid of this flu. I also need to do bundles, I ran out a while back and the bulk orders took priority (no wood = no heat for many of my customers)

Maybe the weather can behave. Went from -5* Friday to 25* and 40mph wind yesterday, wind is worse today.

 

[Spotted Owl]

Right now I'm about 60 cords behind on orders. I ran out a while back and the bulk orders took priority (no wood = no heat for many of my customers)

How are you still in business? Is there no competition in your area?



Owl

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

How are you still in business? Is there no competition in your area?

Owl

I'm not sure what you mean? I'm not going to go out of business because I've been out sick a few days!

 

[cantoo]

I think he means because you are behind 60 cord on deliveries and it's Dec 25th.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Means the demand was more than the supply... ie... business is great.

 

[unclemoustache]

Right, but I think you're missing the point. Your customers are waiting for their wood, and you're 60 cords behind. Some might decide it's time to go with a dealer who will actually deliver in a timely manner.

Mind, I'm not criticizing - you've been sick - but I think that was the point of Spotted Owl's question.

 

[Spotted Owl]

I think he means because you are behind 60 cord on deliveries and it's Dec 25th.

Right, but I think you're missing the point. Your customers are waiting for their wood, and you're 60 cords behind. Some might decide it's time to go with a dealer who will actually deliver in a timely manner.

Mind, I'm not criticizing - you've been sick - but I think that was the point of Spotted Owl's question.

Yup. If I called asking about wood and was told, we're 60 cords out right now, I would probably find another seller. Especially if as you said, no wood = no heat for some of your customers. I would/did/do have a hard time taking orders when I'm was that far behind, but not all business people are the same. Sickness happens but I couldn't bring myself to keep taking orders with people expecting something I was that far behind on.



Owl

 

[cantoo]

Owl, I assume he likely did deliver wood to people who need it just not the year's worth of wood yet?

 

[Spotted Owl]

I know he's a blowhard, hopefully you're right and hopefully he's just spewing more BS as per his normal. If not I feel sorry for the people that trusted him in a business agreement.



Owl

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Just seeing this now.

Customers are aware of the wait time when ordering and I certainly keep in touch with everyone. I'm in contact with everyone waiting at least weekly.

It sure isn't where I'm promising wood in a few days, unless I can actually do that. Generally the summers slow down to where I'm fully caught up and have time to work on the equipment (work that doesn't "have" to be done... ie upgrades, making things work better, etc)

This year I never got caught up to where I didn't have a wait list.


Why are people willing to wait?
I'm one of the very few vendors that is honest (ie a cord is a cord), reliable and sells a quality product. Many of my customers are repeat or from word of mouth.

I deliver on average 10-15 cords a week to give an idea. Should hit over 500 cords this year between bulk firewood, logs and firewood bundles

It is a good thing to keep people waiting? Nope, and I want to be big enough that I can have wood out within a few days of an order.
The thing with getting big is it costs lots of $$. Every spare cent I have I put back into upgrading things, but it's not like I'm rolling in money.

I just hired on more help, but the bottleneck is having 1 processor and 2 trucks. Have 2 more trucks, but they need dump beds. Kind of a catch 22. Do I take a couple weeks and do that, get further behind? Or run what I have and deliver wood everyday

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Oh, and I've never "spewed BS". Come take a visit out here. What I say or write is what it is.
I have enough to try and remember as it, no way I'd be able to keep on lies!

Have questions about something I said that doesn't seem right, ask away, I have nothing to hide.

 

[Big_Eddy]

Valley - how far is your typical delivery?

We've decided that we "wasted" a lot of time behind the windshield than we should have this year, so we've been turning away customers who are at the outer edge of our delivery range. We're sold out of seasoned wood for this winter already and have queries coming in every day - sorry to turn away customers "just around the corner" when last month we were driving an hour+ round trip to deliver (for $20 delivery upcharge).

Unlike you with a supply of pre-seasoned logs, we cut and split in the fall for next winter burning, so once the seasoned pile is gone - we have to turn away customers. We quadrupled in size from last year to this, so during July and August we filled every order we could, even those just outside the limits of our delivery circle. In hindsight we should have reduced the driving radius and only accepted orders inside the smaller circle. $20 delivery hardly covered our fuel - never mind the "windscreen time".

p.s. I appreciate your inputs (on many topics) - no BS - straight shooting - always.