About 2 1/2 years ago I went out on a limb. I asked a local logging company if I could make a deal for their cull logs. After meeting with the owner He promised to keep me in more firewood than I could handle for free. I would be doing him a favor by keeping his lot clear. I cut the logs, and they would load them in the trailer for me with the crane on the log truck. I have been cutting, splitting and selling 6 or so cords a year until this summer. The company moved it's log lot a couple of miles in the other direction to a leased property. I was still allowed to cut wood on the new lot. I was zipping logs into nice 18 inch rounds when the property owner comes by. When he learned my name he told me that the owner of the logging company highly recommended me for cleaning up the wood. The property owner has a couple hundred acres where they harvested Red Oak, White Oak, Hickory and some Black Walnut about three years ago. He asked if I would like to harvest the tree tops to help him clear them from his Timber. Win for me because there is more wood in the treetops than I know what to do with, much of it 24" caliber and better and all of it perfectly seasoned. I am allowed to use the new loader in the log lot to load firewood. I am on track to do 15 cords before Christmas with one Stihl Saw and a borrowed 27 ton Swisher Log Splitter. I have sold 6 Cords and given away three to a family with their Dad in the ICU.
All Summer long some of my friends have asked every few weeks what I charge per cord. $150.00 per Cord plus $50.00 for delivery and stacking, so $400.00 for two cords cut, split and delivered. 2 weeks ago they asked me for a rock bottom good friend price for 2 cords. They have helped me with a couple of projects in the past so I told the that rock bottom I could go with $250.00 for two cords. They did not like that price and said it was too steep. I offered to trade them the two cords for a bottle calf (they have 17), they said no. I then offered to let the come to my Farm where I store the processed firewood, I told them they could take/cut all they wanted from my ugly pile for free. This would be doing me and them a favor. This morning I got a call from them. They said "we know you get your firewood for free (which I do) and asked can a good friend get the directions so they could get some firewood for free as well.
I told them that would not fly because the deal I have with the landowner is exclusive (his request). I offered to sell them a trailer load of unprocessed logs for $150.00 and they got mad. I do not like to lose friends! So I went and cut two cords worth of logs (Red Oak big caliber), loaded them with the loader, and went to drop them at their house for free (keeping the peace and our friendship intact). I was told by the Lady of the house that Her and Her Husband did not need Charity, or my firewood (They asked for Charity when they asked for the first discount) and that was all they ever needed to say to me again. In other words "Get off my Lawn!"
They threw our friendship out based on $250.00 worth of discounted firewood. The father in this home brings home 6 figures. The Mother in this house received a 6+ figure inheritance a few years ago. They are not hurting for cash. I do not understand their need to strive for more and more of a better deal. They know that my Firewood sales supplement my Military pay for our Propane, Christmas and Winter supplies.
As a side note, the Family above found out through other sources where my Firewood lot is and who owns it. The Father told me that he knows the Landowner and would make his own deal. The Landowner upon hearing this told me that our deal was exclusive and that he trusted me. He told me I should have never offered the discounted wood in the first place. He said that it didn't matter if he sat next to them in Church on Sunday, that mine was the phone number he would give out if people asked him about cutting Firewood. That made me feel better.
All Summer long some of my friends have asked every few weeks what I charge per cord. $150.00 per Cord plus $50.00 for delivery and stacking, so $400.00 for two cords cut, split and delivered. 2 weeks ago they asked me for a rock bottom good friend price for 2 cords. They have helped me with a couple of projects in the past so I told the that rock bottom I could go with $250.00 for two cords. They did not like that price and said it was too steep. I offered to trade them the two cords for a bottle calf (they have 17), they said no. I then offered to let the come to my Farm where I store the processed firewood, I told them they could take/cut all they wanted from my ugly pile for free. This would be doing me and them a favor. This morning I got a call from them. They said "we know you get your firewood for free (which I do) and asked can a good friend get the directions so they could get some firewood for free as well.
I told them that would not fly because the deal I have with the landowner is exclusive (his request). I offered to sell them a trailer load of unprocessed logs for $150.00 and they got mad. I do not like to lose friends! So I went and cut two cords worth of logs (Red Oak big caliber), loaded them with the loader, and went to drop them at their house for free (keeping the peace and our friendship intact). I was told by the Lady of the house that Her and Her Husband did not need Charity, or my firewood (They asked for Charity when they asked for the first discount) and that was all they ever needed to say to me again. In other words "Get off my Lawn!"
They threw our friendship out based on $250.00 worth of discounted firewood. The father in this home brings home 6 figures. The Mother in this house received a 6+ figure inheritance a few years ago. They are not hurting for cash. I do not understand their need to strive for more and more of a better deal. They know that my Firewood sales supplement my Military pay for our Propane, Christmas and Winter supplies.
As a side note, the Family above found out through other sources where my Firewood lot is and who owns it. The Father told me that he knows the Landowner and would make his own deal. The Landowner upon hearing this told me that our deal was exclusive and that he trusted me. He told me I should have never offered the discounted wood in the first place. He said that it didn't matter if he sat next to them in Church on Sunday, that mine was the phone number he would give out if people asked him about cutting Firewood. That made me feel better.
