anybody sell firewood on the side? i'm talkin small timers.

[mattmc2003]

i sell firewood on the side to supplement my income. i've done pretty well this year. i've brought in enough to pay for my saws and the pickup i use as my work truck. and all the above has also heated my home which is a nice savings. what i'm wondering about is customer related. the people that actually buy wood from me are absolutely delighted with the price and product i sell. but two out of every five calls i get are people that practically step on me telling me my price is too high. laughing at me like.

 

[mattmc2003]

but also what i've noticed is that these people never ever buy. no matter if i bargain with them or not. i've had them deal me down and say they'll call right back with directions and they never do. i've never once sold a load to a bargainer no matter how far i came down or what i did. i have an 83 chevy longbed half ton. i put enough load on it that you can't see cars behind you with the mirror. usually it works out to about a little over half cord. and i sell a load for 80 to 85 bucks or two for 150

 

[Fish]

Any small business or large will have a large fraction of the calls that do not
pan out, no matter what the product or service, there are all types out
there trying to get something for nothing, or close to it.

Don't sweat it.

 

[mattmc2003]

and thats delivered. and even stacked if its reasonablely easy to get to. and i don't really advertise but just my truck on the road, so these people see what they are getting. i was even splitting by hand till this weekend. so in otherwords, is this the same business everywhere or am i too high? sorry for multiple posts but i'm on a phone to do this.....lol. i'm dedicated.

 

[Fish]

All of the old folks that used to mention the "great depression" are gone,
but I listened to that spiel a lot in the 1980's.

I got a laugh last year, an old couple stopped by to discuss their junk mower
that they couldn't afford to put much money in, they were driving a new $45.000 car, I was giggling the whole time.

 

[mattmc2003]

i know folks are hard up for money now. but i am too, or i wouldn't be workin so much. you know, sometimes when i don't have much wood where i'm splittin at, i just throw a jumbled up half load on the truck and put it out and i always have just as much interest in that. even though its better value to spend a little more and get a lot more wood. folks just don't wanna spend much. most think it is easy work and don't see paying much for it.

 

[knockbill]

Any small business or large will have a large fraction of the calls that do not
pan out, no matter what the product or service, there are all types out
there trying to get something for nothing, or close to it.

Don't sweat it.

exactly right... you know what your time is worth,, and you have customers that agree,,, it seems i get 9 calls out of ten any more with the same story,,, keep doing what your doing,, it works,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[mattmc2003]

exactly right... you know what your time is worth,, and you have customers that agree,,, it seems i get 9 calls out of ten any more with the same story,,, keep doing what your doing,, it works,,,,,,,,,,,

thanks. i've not sold but about six cords or so. but thats pretty good splitting by hand after work and weekends. and keeping up my own wood pile as well. i got a splitter now so that helps.

 

[roncoinc]

but also what i've noticed is that these people never ever buy. no matter if i bargain with them or not. i've had them deal me down and say they'll call right back with directions and they never do. i've never once sold a load to a bargainer no matter how far i came down or what i did. i have an 83 chevy longbed half ton. i put enough load on it that you can't see cars behind you with the mirror. usually it works out to about a little over half cord. and i sell a load for 80 to 85 bucks or two for 150

That sounds like an honest 1/2 cord on the truck..
even green delivered and stacked ?? good deal !!

 

[peterc38]

I sell some on the side. Last year I sold maybe 10 cords. It's more of a hobby for me, but it has paid for a couple of saws and plus a lot of my own wood for burning. This year I'll probably sell at least 20. I'm trying to stockpile for fall so I will have seasoned wood. I don't bargain like you though, the price is the price. If they don't want to buy it that is fine, let 'em go somewhere else. One thing I do, is make sure people get an honest cord. No one has complained yet.

 

[PLAYINWOOD]

Matt folks are never hard up for cash when they are cold.

If you are sold out with cash in hand why would even worry about "folks on the phone say".

If anything if you are sold out, you're to cheap.Raise your price some and see what happens?

Do you have 80$ Nike shoes?

 

[Bowtie]

I sell maybe 4-6 cords per year on the side. My price is firm at 150$ for a heaped 8ft bed pickup load, and is seasoned 1 year on my property. Its always ash, hackberry, hedge, and mulberry unless they ask otherwise.

I deliver and stack if I dont have to carry it. If they dont want to pay that price, I just keep it and burn it. We all know how hard of work it is to process firewood from start to finish, and Im not gonna do it for free. I usually turn down several people because I only sell it if the situation is right. If they try to bargain on price, the conversation is over.

 

[mattmc2003]

its always red oak by the way. i did have 100 on the truckload but never got a call for a long time. i know folks a county over from here that sell the same amount for 135 or more and always move a lot of wood. but they have been at it for years. but where i live and have my truck at its a little lower class if you know what i mean. i may try movin my truck around some more. i plan on making signs and flyers for next year. try to step it up a little.

 

[teatersroad]

its always red oak by the way. i did have 100 on the truckload but never got a call for a long time. i know folks a county over from here that sell the same amount for 135 or more and always move a lot of wood. but they have been at it for years. but where i live and have my truck at its a little lower class if you know what i mean. i may try movin my truck around some more. i plan on making signs and flyers for next year. try to step it up a little.

Advertise. Craigslist, feedstores, the like. Make it look professional, as it is. My impression around here is a parked truckload doesn't move too well (warmest winter in years doesn't help) You're doing right though, don't sweat the insults of bargain hunters. I split, deliver, and stack for good folks.. so I can feel good.

 

[Mad Professor]

I've sold wood since I was 12, $35 a cord, dry hardwood delivered back then.

 

[willis09r]

Matt,
I just put some serious time on your 460 today and wanted to thank you
again. I couldn't be happier with it!

 

[rms61moparman]

Matt,

I'll take a double load. Have cash in hand will see you tomorrow afternoon!LOL


Mike

 

[Fish]

Advertise. Craigslist, feedstores, the like. Make it look professional, as it is. My impression around here is a parked truckload doesn't move too well (warmest winter in years doesn't help) You're doing right though, don't sweat the insults of bargain hunters. I split, deliver, and stack for good folks.. so I can feel good.

Not the warmest of winters here in the east. the southeast either.

 

[huskystihl]

Sales are in the crapper this year with so many people out of work from the big 3 in my area. While I wont fault anybody trying to put food on the table it's ran prices in the ground and killed my winter cash flow. I see guys delivering cords of hardwood for $60. I'm currently setting on about 100 cords or so that I just stopped trying to sell. We all know what goes into making a cord of wood and the expense of the equipment to do it so if I can't get a decent price i'll keep it or give it to the less fortunate. Oh and just to see a supposed $60 cord of oak I had a guy bring me on out to the shop, man was that funny, guy pullled in a f150 with a cap and had it stacked which the wood was freshly cut and was 3/4 soft maple not oak and you should have seen his face when I told him to throw it in the 30ft high pile I had split. I then proceeded to tell him that 90% of the people out there wouldn't know oak from sasafrass but i'm not one of them and that while theres nothing wrong with keeping prices decent he would be out of business with a breakdown in his old truck and $60 hardly provides any profit at all.

 

[REJ2]

A couple years ago my supplier went from $70 for a 8 foot bed pick-up load to $140. I then decided to cut myself because my FIL has plenty of good wood to be had. That said I wouldnt sell mine for $140. There is some honest effort in a pick-up load that is split. REJ2