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

[JohnnyBoy1986]

alot of people dont even know around here how much wood is actually in a cord of wood, it turns out to be alot just piled up on the ground. here around VA a true cord stacked measures about 4ft wide x 4ft high x 8ft long, thats just traditional method of determining. when people buy a tossed on truckload from me to the std 8ft bed without side racks and then look at me and say "well looks like a good load, you think i got a cord there?" and its hard to explain to alot of them "no you dont, actually far from it" lol. I've read some of the other people venting and yes i've heard alot of things just in my first few years of selling too, people are funny and ALWAYS trying to get the price down. i've had customers only want oak and nothing more, down to customers who want a cord thats 60-70% pine & poplar for quick and easy burning. I dont usually mix in any pine or so with my normal hardwood pile but i've got oak, ash, walnut, hickory, locust, all that stuff. people want them cut and split a certain size, usually no more than 14" - 18" long and anything 3" or more in diameter you might as well split it just once, i'd bet that 80% of the people who bought from me this year wouldnt even burn 3" logs! they'd rather have em split, so i split em all from here on out. I've had customers that wouldnt take pieces that used to have knots in em because where the wood gets black and forms a ring, they tell me "thats dirty wood, bugs live in that and i dont want em in the house!", i cant help but laugh. all in all price i font have much of an issue with, i sell my wood $80 std 8ft pickup load tossed on, $40 per 'tall rack' (depending on), or $160 cord and i hold firm on all my prices. I had one guy ask me about a pickup load and then he said "well i was buying it for $70 a pickup load" and i just told him "thats a great deal im glad he could do that for you, but i'll be happy to load you up with mine for $10 more" he thought it was a joke i suppose and he never did buy any from me, point and case for me is people are lazy, not many want to even do this. so for my time, my saws, the materials i put into the saws (gas, oil chains, etc), my trucks labor, my splitter and so on.. i feel like the woods worth what im asking for it. people will always be looking for whats the most they can get for the least amount of money, its just our nature, but from a sales point of view you just cant let all the bad ones get to you, hold firm, stay truthful and keep doin it. I enjoy my time out in the woods and cutting so im not stopping anytime soon! This year coming up will be a muuuuch better year for me now that i've got a plenty acres to cut on

 

[Oldtimer]

I know what you mean about picky people..

I had one lady- a friend of my wife- ask me to "exchange" 30 pieces of wood for different pieces. She saw worm tracks in the oak I sent her. It was standing dead dry oak, tossed in with her green cord because I was being a nice guy...there were no worms or bugs in it whatsoever. But she couldn't be told that. She saw the ages old remnants of the bug's tracks and was certain she'd have a house full of termites.

I know a guy (Semi-friend) who measures any piece that looks short or long. Cries like a sick puppy about a piece that is 1" too long or short. He stacks every bit, and is all upset if there's room for one more chunk in his perfect 4x4x8 pile. I won't sell to him because of it, even though my wood will meet his specs easily.
There again, I have other customers who never say a word. I ask them if it's ok to toss in some small round wood from the tops- no sense in wasting it- and they say sure, don't care a bit. One doesn't care if the whole cord is round wood so long as it fits in the stove.

 

[roncoinc]

I sell quite a bit of wood down here in San Diego. Yes people burn wood here , it does get cold. I only do it as a side thing to my day job, which is the Navy, I work from 0400 to noonish for the Navy, then go cut, split and deliver till 1900 or so. Ive sold 32 cords this year of oak of various types. $325 a cord delivered and stacked. Its paid for my splitter I build my , saws a wood haulin truck, 79 f250 ranger, and a couple credit cards. I just advertise on craigslist and get plenty of calls to keep me busy , most people here don't know anything about wood so they always bombard me with questions.
City folks never cease to amaze me.

Where in SD is "westpoint" ??
never heard of it ???
you down in chula wanna or carlsbad ??
cmon man !! cold ?? LOL !! in 10 years i had to scrape the windshield TWICE !! and that was up on clairmont mesa..
you really think people gonna believe you can scroung,cut,pickup,split,deliver THIRTY TWO !!! FULL CORDS ( 128CF ) OF FIREWOOD IN ONLY 52 WEEKS !!?? cmon man !!! even if you was up in Julian that would be a lot of work and you say you work at the navy base ??
UH,,?? it IS the desert out there you know ??
oh sure,you go up to the observatory to cut down trees so they can see better ?? LOL !!! wait,,even THATS to far to go from the base and get a cord of wood in a day,and haul it back in a pickup truck
oh my,what some people wont spin for a yarn...have fun,enjoy your story telling

 

[Johndirt82]

Westpoint is my hometown In northern california bout and hour southeast of sacremento, I am in Bonita by chula wanna now.

 

[Johndirt82]

What are you new?! yer an idiot. a half cord to a cord a day is not a big deal takes only about an hour each way driving .1-2 hours to cut and load , and maybe 2-3 to split a cord of wood. 6 days a week. usually alternate days of cutting, splitting and delivering. And there is no scrounging for wood. I have plenty of available wood from the fires two years ago. I started stockpiling at the end of summer. Im off work before noon so I got all afternoon to go do my wood thing. You can say im full of sh*t all you want . I have kept a log of every stick ive sold. And your right I have only had to scrape Ice a couple of times since Ive been stationed here doesn't mean there is not a large market for wood.

 

[Truck4]

Another desert dweller here, Im in southern New Mexico (only about 7-8 miles from boarder the way a crow flies) and it also gets pretty cold here, this year more than past. I work with the local pecan farmers to remove there trimings each year, some of there trimings are ~3-4 long and 24-30" in dia. Last year was real good ended up with about 20-25 cords, and they are going to trim like that again this yr. I wan not able to get it all cut / spit but did get 18 cords sold at $230.00 a cord. also take the "chunk" pieces left from cutting to length and sell it for BBQ smokers and do good with that to. This is just a small side for me to pay for my toys, trailers, saws, guns, hunting trips, etc. Would like to get alittle bigger feel like there is a good market around here, I just need to find a way to get some different varieties in

Roy

 

[Locust Cutter]

Firewood

I've been selling in the Wichita, KS area for about 14 years now, (@ 6-12 chords/yr). I started at 15 years old and $110/chord and am now ranging from $160-250/chord delivered & stacked. The last 5 years I've only ever had 1 unsatisfied customer and as soon as I wasn't delivering to him, I had another to take his place. I sold every stick I had this winter and have had to go cut more dead, just to help a couple of friends. for every haggler I've met, I've come across two more potential paying customers. I have no complaints other than there's not enough time in the day,...

 

[JohnnyBoy1986]

speaking of hagglers i scrounged up a good cord of mixed hardwood, the last of what i have for a good customer of mine, then this dude pulls in and asks me if he can load up his truck, a chevy 2500 with tall racks up to the cab, for $40! For one instance i had to tell him the wood was sold, then he kept oooon and oooooon about how i should get him a load together like that for $40 or $50 bcuz he was hard up for work and he aint had a job in so long. I dont mind helping people, but he wasnt 'begging' either, just another example of someone wanting a good something for the price of nothing. Needless to say i politely declined and he went on his marry little way, i hope never to ask me that again lol

 

[rms61moparman]

speaking of hagglers i scrounged up a good cord of mixed hardwood, the last of what i have for a good customer of mine, then this dude pulls in and asks me if he can load up his truck, a chevy 2500 with tall racks up to the cab, for $40! For one instance i had to tell him the wood was sold, then he kept oooon and oooooon about how i should get him a load together like that for $40 or $50 bcuz he was hard up for work and he aint had a job in so long. I dont mind helping people, but he wasnt 'begging' either, just another example of someone wanting a good something for the price of nothing. Needless to say i politely declined and he went on his marry little way, i hope never to ask me that again lol

The way I deal with those;

Tell him you have 4 cords to split and if he would split them you would let him have one for free!

You'll get to see him split alright........................but not wood!!!


Mike

 

[hunter0182]

selling firewood

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.

I started selling firewood 10 yrs ago about 30 loads a season,about three years ago i bought a troybuilt splitter with a briggs 8 hp,last year i bought a troybuilt splitter with a honda motor,8 poulan pro4620 saws and several pp-260 saws,i sold over a 100 cords of wood last year, i have built 4 trailers for delivering the wood,i have one i go to my property to cut with load it and bring it here to the house,i hired a high school kid to load wood and split wood, 8.00 a hr. next season i plan on doubleing sales,i will really advertise,i get 75.00 a 1/2 cord 65.00 for repete customers, and that is really cheap for here in georgia

 

[treevet]

That is pretty cheap anywhere. Man, that is a lot of work for less than $7500.

You must be a hard worker. No dumps or conveyor?

 

[hunter0182]

That is pretty cheap anywhere. Man, that is a lot of work for less than $7500.

You must be a hard worker. No dumps or conveyor?

no dumps or conveyors, around here they get 65.00 to 95.00 a 1/2 cord,i could have sold more but i just couldnt keep up,so i am cutting for next year right now,i have dropped about 75 trees and still another 40 or 50 in line before i move tp another 20 acre bottom,i do have a back hoe and a newholland 3950 with a front loader,i cut and limb the trees and pull them up on the deck and cut them up

 

[treevet]

keep up the good work and watch your back

 

[mike reynolds]

We sold just shy of 100 cords this winter. I'm a contractor but the building is non existent. Selling firewood got me through this winter and though it was the hardest I've ever worked for the least amount of money I've made, for some reason I loved doing it. And as a result, I've ended up with 2 dump trailers, one big one 3-cord size for pick up and a small 1-cord size one for deliverey 2 log splitters and a couple chinsaws. I'm alrteady stocking up for next year and hope to have 100 cords split and ready for sale by end of September. Next on my list is a big truck to haul.

 

[banshee67]

im not sure if i sold enough wood to pay for all the #### i broke this year
my trailer is now totaled and stranded 50 miles from my house as of yesterday, i have about 15+ cords on back order, and im about to throw in the towel and give up...

 

[mattmc2003]

i've really had to give up for this year since about christmas. my baby girl was born on december 28 09 and it has been tough since then. i've cut a little for next year but i haven't had time to advertise and sell any since then. she has some disabilities and issues. every time i get ready to work a little she's headed back to the hospital. she's been admitted at least five times since birth. rough on the wallet but family comes first. maybe i'll be better prepared for this coming season better than last.

 

[treevet]

better luck to both you guys esp Matt and a little prayer out to him.

 

[mattmc2003]

better luck to both you guys esp Matt and a little prayer out to him.

thanks man. its been a tough winter. just this week my wife had to go with her dad for heart surgery eight hours from home. her mother had gall bladder surgery the same day. and she is my main help with my kids....lol. and the baby has to go tuesday for pre op for feeding tube and stomach surgery. and actually, fire wood has been my stress reliever. and its a good one too.

 

[treevet]

Keep your head up man, things will get better, they always do. I am 61 and have lived it. Still living it, right now.

 

[KsWoodsMan]

If only it were that easy...... Good men are hard to find and the ones out there don't want a ready made family with three year old twins.........

HEH ! she makes a good point. Speaking from experience, women here aren't interested in a 40 year old man with 2 teen boys.

Regardless of if the man loves his family, doesn't drink, goes to work everyday, stays out of the bar, enjoys the outdoors, stocks in enough wood early to keep his house 80° all winter, is in good health and pays his own way through life they aren't interested in more kids.

Ironic, isn't it.