advertising firewood for sale

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

doobie57z

ArboristSite Operative
Joined
May 16, 2010
Messages
291
Reaction score
43
Location
northern wisconsin
So I got a lot of my customers from a home made sign with pull tabs I was putting up at the local post office. Turns out the post master, or " King if the Flunkies", has now decided no more private ads on "his" building. " If it was a business, you might be okay", was how he put it. His discretion. So, where to advertise? I'm sold out, and this was my first year. I don't know if I want to screw with it if I'm going to make LESS money..
 
So I got a lot of my customers from a home made sign with pull tabs I was putting up at the local post office. Turns out the post master, or " King if the Flunkies", has now decided no more private ads on "his" building. " If it was a business, you might be okay", was how he put it. His discretion. So, where to advertise? I'm sold out, and this was my first year. I don't know if I want to screw with it if I'm going to make LESS money..

The best way is word of mouth.Search online, and you will find a dozen plus companies that will make you up a thousand business cards for less than twenty bucks.hand them out to everyone you deliver to.Trust me, if they like your product, word travels fast.If they dont like your product,word travels even faster.

On top of that, advertise in your local paper,rates may vary.Here in our local town, I pay 15 bucks for three weeks of ads in the "firewood" section.Craigslist is a good place, its free but it also attacts its fair share of nuts so be wary of idiots that want you to deliver at 3am all the way to Hawaii while wearing a mini skirt and combat boots and carrying an anchovi pizza in your shirt pocket.

Put your ad at the local feed store, grocery store,local gas stations, etc. Plenty of places to hang your sign,but word of mouth is far more effective.
 
So I got a lot of my customers from a home made sign with pull tabs I was putting up at the local post office. Turns out the post master, or " King if the Flunkies", has now decided no more private ads on "his" building. " If it was a business, you might be okay", was how he put it. His discretion. So, where to advertise? I'm sold out, and this was my first year. I don't know if I want to screw with it if I'm going to make LESS money..

Make up a business name and re-post a new ad there.
Just wait a bit for the hub-bub of his majesty to die off first...lol.
Or another plan is if there are any power poles(telephone poles) near the place to stick some on it.
Also you could post on some popular free web sites like Kijiji or such.
All the other places you mentioned as well. The word will get out and you soon be too busy again....Good Luck.
 
Word of mouth is the hot ticket. Back when I was a young pup selling wood, I never even had business cards printed but I managed to sell every spare stick I had every year. Satisfied customers will keep you working your tail off.
 
Step One

Decide how much wood you want to sell, and more importantly have as a continuous supply. Regular customers are king, be sure their needs are covered.

Depending upon the answers above, word of mouth from satisfied customers may be all that's needed. Business cards are fine and can usually be left with customers or thumb tacked up on a bill board at the grocery or convenience store. If Post Offices work well for you what about neighboring towns or is there more than one in your town?

Take Care
 
Or another plan is if there are any power poles(telephone poles) near the place to stick some on it.

Just be careful putting signs on power/phone poles. As was explained by my local police force, the poles are property of the respective utility. The utilities claim that driving an "unauthorized" nail into the pole puts the technicians at risk of being cut/scratched by the nail, pierced, electrocuted. We had a big problem with "we buy your home" companies putting signs on every pole on the main drag. The police were asked to remove any signs that are posted on the poles. 1 company even decided to put the signs 3/4 of the way up the pole. The guy was finally caught, standing on an aluminum ladder, in the rain, at night, on a pole that drops power underground. Since then, people cannot post anything on poles (tag sales, missing pets, home sales etc.) or face a fine from the police and possible prossecution from the utility that owns the pole.

Just a heads up
 
thanks for the ideas.I only had less than 20 cords ready, first year, very high quality product, at least for this area. Most of the people I got off that ad at P.O. were retired,seasonal, and VERY happy with what I brought them. Most helped unload, while telling me stories about being brought "truckloads of branches, short loads, loads with popple mixed in,etc." The craigs listers tended to be looky loo's or low ballers. I am starting on next years wood now, was going to do twice as much and maybe get a small speeco splitter. Now, maybe not. There is no "local paper", and I hope at least the folks I had kept my number.My thought is some local hill billy complained when he couldn't sell his junk wood. Just pisses me off, he thinks its his call, now my winter hobby will be getting that office closed down.
 
Word of mouth will work your tail off.....good product and give them an actual cord or fraction of. Stay away from the terminology that leads you away from a cord. I take time to visit and take good care of old folks and occasionally somebody that is in need of help. It always pays off for me.
 
thanks for the ideas.I only had less than 20 cords ready, first year, very high quality product, at least for this area. Most of the people I got off that ad at P.O. were retired,seasonal, and VERY happy with what I brought them. Most helped unload, while telling me stories about being brought "truckloads of branches, short loads, loads with popple mixed in,etc." The craigs listers tended to be looky loo's or low ballers. I am starting on next years wood now, was going to do twice as much and maybe get a small speeco splitter. Now, maybe not. There is no "local paper", and I hope at least the folks I had kept my number.My thought is some local hill billy complained when he couldn't sell his junk wood. Just pisses me off, he thinks its his call, now my winter hobby will be getting that office closed down.

I would put a couple ads at the local grocery stores like the old cops store. and remember a lot of the seasonal old folks do like to put down a nice glass of whine or a bottle of booze.... I got a lot of calls from an add I put in at the bright spot just as you walk in the door. I took it down as I was tired of going to Ironwood and Hurley to look at jobs.
 
sounds like he is grumpy. i was reading the other day that there is going to be over 900 post offices that will be closed in march. the postal service is billions in debt right now
 
I would put a couple ads at the local grocery stores like the old cops store. and remember a lot of the seasonal old folks do like to put down a nice glass of whine or a bottle of booze.... I got a lot of calls from an add I put in at the bright spot just as you walk in the door. I took it down as I was tired of going to Ironwood and Hurley to look at jobs.
This was down in Mercer, I'm in Wis., trying to keep my sales here. A regular tho is a stripper who works Silver St, and lives in a bus. First time I sold her a face cord, she paid me in ones. Now she is parked in Michigan, and calls me yet for wood.
Anywho, no personal ads at the grocery store, the only place left down here is the laundry mat,. I guess I'll run an ad, new people will pay more, repeaters will get last years price...
 
I am not sure what your prices are but back about 6 years ago I worked for #### head(daves tree) from P.I. his wood was always dirty and never seasoned more than 5 to 6 month. He always throws Hemlock in the loads as he figures the seasonal people wont know the difference. he sold it in Mercer quit a bit. and also Manitowish area. he sold then for 80.00 a third cord.
 
This was down in Mercer, I'm in Wis., trying to keep my sales here. A regular tho is a stripper who works Silver St, and lives in a bus. First time I sold her a face cord, she paid me in ones. Now she is parked in Michigan, and calls me yet for wood.
Anywho, no personal ads at the grocery store, the only place left down here is the laundry mat,. I guess I'll run an ad, new people will pay more, repeaters will get last years price...

Do you get a complimentary lap dance for delivery?

Steve
 
I am not sure what your prices are but back about 6 years ago I worked for #### head(daves tree) from P.I. his wood was always dirty and never seasoned more than 5 to 6 month. He always throws Hemlock in the loads as he figures the seasonal people wont know the difference. he sold it in Mercer quit a bit. and also Manitowish area. he sold then for 80.00 a third cord.

I sold mixed hardwood, prolly 90% maple, 95% split wood that I bought off a logger. I took anything even a little punky or with big goiters that didn't stack tight and I'm burning it myself. I sold for $60 1/3 cord through September, $90 1/2 cord, Then $65 and $95. I'm hauling it in an s10 and a trailer, so I would tell people who wanted a cord " I'll bring a half cord, if you still want the other half I'll go right back and get it." I never had a single person want the second half.
 
I agree with the second post, I do all my advertising through word of mouth (the best) and craigslist. Craigslist has a lot of good people but tons of wackos too. It also seems with craigslist, I get tons of people who schedule a delivery and then when I get there they aren't home or they called another person(at a lower price) but never call to cancel with me. I found if I am dealing with a craigslist person especially, I call before I load the wood and leave. I get absolutely no business from the newspaper. I have also found putting up business cards, at the local restaurants or gas stations is worthless, I can put 30 up and they next day they are gone, I doubt people are taking them most likely the competition takes them all and throws them away.
 
A regular tho is a stripper who works Silver St, and lives in a bus. First time I sold her a face cord, she paid me in ones. Now she is parked in Michigan, and calls me yet for wood.

Maybe its just early,but that made me laugh.......
Does your wife know about this?LOL
 
ya it does kinda look like he is being called for some hard wood delivered from behind the zipper lmao jk
She looks about 16 years old. Dancing is a job, things are still tight in small town America. There's 5 or 6 bars with dancers in Hurley.She helps unload the truck also, which is more than the loser she lives with does.
 
She looks about 16 years old. Dancing is a job, things are still tight in small town America. There's 5 or 6 bars with dancers in Hurley.She helps unload the truck also, which is more than the loser she lives with does.


There's about a 10 year difference between looking 16 and is 16
 
Back
Top