IDK its just the way I do it. The sale will come in the winter guaranteed if I sell out before then I wont have any.
He walked away mad
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Streblerm
Addicted to ArboristSite
I'm not opposed to a little haggling but there is a right and wrong way to do it. i've bought many items over the years for well below asking price. Respectfully! Would you consider letting it go for x? No? What would be your best price? Ok, that's a little higher than I can go how about y? Still a no? Thank you for your time. Would you like to take my number in case you change your mind? I'm a serious buyer at y. Thanks.
When you are told- that is the best price and it is a fair price then the only answer should be yes or no thank you. There is also a huge difference between a business venture, like firewood and selling a one off item for whatever the reason.
It is even more insulting when you price something well below market value and people think they smell desperation. Don't waste my time.
When you are told- that is the best price and it is a fair price then the only answer should be yes or no thank you. There is also a huge difference between a business venture, like firewood and selling a one off item for whatever the reason.
It is even more insulting when you price something well below market value and people think they smell desperation. Don't waste my time.
To each his own. But! a sale at full price is a sale none the less.
However, if one just sold during winter months and always sold out. Thats a nice set up as well.
I would have made the sale, but at my connivance. At this point in the year, you still have a lot of time to make up the difference before winter sales begin.
I understand your point and if that works for you, then great.
I go by supply and demand, provided I'm making money at it.
If demand goes up and supply is low, I still adhere to my cost of production and offer the wood at the best price I can.
However I don't price gouge because of cold weather, but I will adjust if supply and demand change.
Again, providing I make money.
My wood prices are based on my cost of production.
Labor is the biggest cost when dealing with firewood.
I will not budge on labor cost.
I have a restaurant that has been a steady buyer for many years.
He has a special section where I set aside his inventory and I will not touch that for anything but him.
It's a constant balancing act to keep enough inventory in stock, and anticipate production, sales and inventory.
In my opinion, the worst thing you can do is run out of stock.
You can't sell what you don't have.
If you run out of stock, several things will happen. Costumers are disappointed and start searching for a new seller, and you just gave your competition the edge and possibly cornering the market. And having your costumers discover new options.
So yeah I agree, running out of stock is bad.
I can certainly see reserving stock for long time repeat customers. Just like maintaining inventory in a store. Customer Joe is always buying product B,, he has bought a lot of B over the years and now I'm running low, better be stocking up some more B or I could be losing a longtime customer. That part I get. I can also see why a person would be buying wood now instead of waiting for winter. Buying enough wood to last the winter could be a hard hit to the pocketbook. By a little now and a little later when they have cash, might be easier than trying to come up with a lot of money at one time. Lots of folks just now getting their tax refunds. Also could be that in the past, they have had to settle for green wood and figure if they buy wood in the spring, it will be dryer come burning season than what they might find once the weather has turned cold. Of course, they could also be thinking along the lines that wood bought when nobody else is buying could lower the price. I also blasted thru my wood pile last year because I knew I was going to be having surgery in the fall and it would limit my ability to process wood. Got it done while I was able. This year, I processed all my wood a couple of weeks ago because i know I will be getting a knee replacement next month, again being unable or limited to do any wood scrounging this fall. So there are many reasons why a person would want to buy wood in the spring, and I think as long as they could be repeat spring time customers over the years, I would sell them wood if I had it. I guess the only limit to how much wood I would sell and when, would be limited to what I could harvest.
Your being smart by looking ahead and knowing your costumers demands and your ability to produce inventory.
Yeah, firewood falls under the agg category. Not only because it is grown and harvested. But weather and weather conditions and supply and demand can manipulate the price one can get for there product.
It's a farming thing. You have to anticipate a lot of things that can make or break you.
Yeah, firewood falls under the agg category. Not only because it is grown and harvested. But weather and weather conditions and supply and demand can manipulate the price one can get for there product.
It's a farming thing. You have to anticipate a lot of things that can make or break you.
Dalmatian90
Addicted to ArboristSite
I'm not a haggler...if the price isn't fair you won't even get me to consider something.
So the shmuck who was the subject of this thread probably would've had me counter his $160 offer with $190.
The few times I haggle is because something wasn't as advertised.
Few months back I missed a Super Split next town over from me at a shut-up-and-take-my-money price...as in I replied to his CL ad and ran to the bank to get the cash in case he replied to me. (Somebody else snapped it up that evening, under 24 hours on CL).
There was another up near Springfield that I did drive out to take a look at which he hadn't posted a pic of. Guy was asking $1600, willing to do $1300...and I felt bad telling him $900. Wasn't a negotiation ploy, I wouldn't have gone up to even $1000...the thing was worth, at best and that was a stretch, $900 with the other work to make it useful again that needed to be done. Had full asking price in cash sitting in my glove box.
Thing was still on CL a month later -- remember this is a Super Split we're talking about -- and I always wondered if he finally sold it or if the ad just expired.
So the shmuck who was the subject of this thread probably would've had me counter his $160 offer with $190.
The few times I haggle is because something wasn't as advertised.
Few months back I missed a Super Split next town over from me at a shut-up-and-take-my-money price...as in I replied to his CL ad and ran to the bank to get the cash in case he replied to me. (Somebody else snapped it up that evening, under 24 hours on CL).
There was another up near Springfield that I did drive out to take a look at which he hadn't posted a pic of. Guy was asking $1600, willing to do $1300...and I felt bad telling him $900. Wasn't a negotiation ploy, I wouldn't have gone up to even $1000...the thing was worth, at best and that was a stretch, $900 with the other work to make it useful again that needed to be done. Had full asking price in cash sitting in my glove box.
Thing was still on CL a month later -- remember this is a Super Split we're talking about -- and I always wondered if he finally sold it or if the ad just expired.
Yeah, you can't put a sentimental price on something and expect to get it.
Someones sentimental attachment to something has no cash value to buyer.
It's only worth what you can get for it.
However there are some exceptions.
I had a 1985 Fender stratocaster that I put on CL at $700.00
No takers.
Then I did the opposite. Instead of dropping the price, I doubled it to $1,400.00
Sold it within a week for $1,200.00
Dalmatian90
Addicted to ArboristSite
Pricing too low is absolutely true too -- I've seen stuff (clearly not scams) at a price I'd assume it's not as otherwise advertised because it's way too low.
Theres a guy a few miles up the road. He has a old international truck I am interested in for some parts. Now of course the truck does run and only needs a tranny, a bed and new tires, but i aint interested in the truck. Still I can see why he doesnt want to part it out. If he sells me what i want , then whats he going to do with the rest of it. Anyways, I know of the truck because it once belonged to a buddy of mine who traded it to the current owner. Of course, i know what he has in the truck, not that has any bearing on what the truck is worth. Anyways, I called the guy up, because I know he just wants to get rid of the truck, to see if i could make up a deal. I figured he wouldnt part it out, but at the right price, I would buy the whole truck, take what I needed and scrap the rest. His price was way to much for what the truck is worth and double what he has in it. I offered him a $500 profit which was $500 less than his asking price and about $500 more than what the truck is actually worth. That has been almost a year ago. The truck is still setting outside his shop as he hasnt found a buyer yet. I have been thinking about stopping by and seeing if he's still set on his original price or if he has came to his senses. Aint nobody going to buy that truck to put back on the road, its just a ragged out cab and chassis with a broke transmission and worn out tires. Good 7.3 motor which is all I need, the rest is just scrap. Sometimes people think because someone wants something, it must be worth a lot of money or someone will pay more than its worth. I call that being greedy.
I fix appliances and have a few we fix up and sell. Had a fridge for $180. Decent garage fridge, cleaned and working. Lady comes and yaps at wife before. Shows up , oh this is bad, crack in plastic here, blah blah....I drop to $160 final. She btches n moans her boy dont got money. I say fine. See you later. Show up at her house a month later fixing something. Brand new 30' travel trailer in a new 40x60 insulated shed. New sleds parked in there also. Fixing her broke azz sons dryer they dropped off in shed.
I see why they are broke! If we all did that we would be broke too!
Yeah, good point. They may look rich with all the toys, but they're probably so far in debt they'd be eligible for Congress.
I gotta say, I've never really had any difficulties with low-ballers. I guess I had a renter one time that talked me down farther than I should have, but that's about it. I usually only haggle at yard sales - never for the expensive stuff. I'm probably not too smart that way!
The guy had two other options.
I have plenty of regular red oak cooking wood for $140.0 a half cord and chunk wood (drop offs and odd shaped chunks) for $95.00 a half cord. But he wanted the top of the line or nothing. He got nothing. lol
The wood even came from the same tree, just different prices.
I get a lot of large dimature logs and I take the time to separate the heart wood from the sap wood. The heart wood is the top of the line. Then the sap wood (witch has a lot of heart wood on it) is cheaper. Then the odd drop offs and chunks go into a basket.
Then come the regular firewood witch is mostly water oak and other hard woods.
Then the camp wood is all the ugly junk wood and mystery wood I cant identify.
From experience, people that are difficult tend to come with more problems down the road.
If there anal about one thing chances are there like that with everything.
logeeland
ArboristSite Operative
What is more premium then oak? Here in my neck of the woods we love burning it.
Nothing. His reference to premium wood is the "heartwood" of the oak (with no bark and from the center of the tree). See the pictures. He sells the heartwood of oak (with no bark and from the center of the tree) for a premium price to people who cook with it. Make sense? The customer wanted the oak heartwood but did not want to pay the asking price or the discounted price.
mt.stalker
ArboristSite Guru
I'm a haggler on my transactions , but there is no way in hell I would lower my price , or ask a seller to lower their price on firewood . Especially after busting my balls cutting , splitting , transporting ,etc . Labor is intensive and non-negotiable
Here in south Tx we don't have very cold or long winters, so BBQ is king.
At least 3/4 of my costumers are buying bbq wood, not firewood.
It all started with costumers wanting there hickory without the bark.
I applied that to all my cooking woods and its very popular.
Some cookers don't care one way or the other. Still others prefer the heartwood.
From reports from my costumers, I am the only one in my area that does this.
It's not that hard to separate when stacking so I try to give my costumers what they want.
Had a similar situation to what the OP had. A local business owner who lived on site and has a woodstove insert for a fireplace heard I cut wood and wanted to buy some. What I didn't know at the time was they had money but are very stingy with it. Sold wood to them for 1 season with no issues. Then the next season the hemming and hawing started but I got them all the wood they wanted. Long story short, that spring when they kept trying to lowball and said I "charge too much" (and they just bought a brand-new F150 "platinum" for $50-60K, a side-by-side and a big JD zero-turn mower) I just said "don't call me, I'll call you." They haven't bothered me since. The last person I sold wood to paid me up front and told me "when you think you need more money just let me know". I made sure they got they're monies worth.
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