Slow Firewood Year...?

[Circle B MN]

Spring firewood sales were far less than previous years, and today not one but two of the local loggers called me wanting to sell logs. I suppose this last warm winter has left a lot of product in the market. Hopefully it gets at least a little cooler this year. What's it like in your market..?

:cool2:

 

[fearofpavement]

Lousy

I haven't sold any firewood recently. We had an unusually warm winter and the market is flooded with storm damage wood. Glad my supper doesn't depend on it.

 

[crowbuster]

We had a nasty warm winter as well. I dont sell much but have noticed the gas station bundles have dropped 2 bucks, must be hurtin as well,, hope it picks up for ya, we need sum rain.

 

[Circle B MN]

We had a nasty warm winter as well. I dont sell much but have noticed the gas station bundles have dropped 2 bucks, must be hurtin as well,, hope it picks up for ya, we need sum rain.

I i notice the other day that the "big guy" bundle business in the state had bundles selling in the low $4 range at the store compared to close to $6 in past years....Supply and demand.....:msp_thumbup:

 

[flyboy553]

Too early to tell, for me. I sell in the fall and winter. Bundled wood went normal, but that is because I only supply 2 campgrounds, and sell a little off the driveway.

Sure hope winter sales stay up like last season.


Ted

 

[jrider]

I sold out in record time last year. I think that probably was due to our last 2 winters and people actually wanted to stock up for a change. Even though it was warm last winter, I am hopeful my weekend burners went through most if not all of their wood while making perty flames and setting the mood. I won't know until Oct/Nov roll around for sure though.

 

[Jules083]

I bet it's slow. Most guys around here I know still have a good bit left from last year they thought they would need. I think I have probably 2 cords or so extra. My neighbor was scrambling to try to cut some in late winter, thinking he would run out, then all of a sudden it got warm.

We'll find out soon enough though. For me the tell-tale sign is the auctions, on slow years it seems like there's more wood brought in and much lower prices. I wish the prices were better there, it's an easy way to sell wood. Normally $40 or $50 a truckload though, it's not worth me hauling it there for that.

 

[zogger]

I bet it's slow. Most guys around here I know still have a good bit left from last year they thought they would need. I think I have probably 2 cords or so extra. My neighbor was scrambling to try to cut some in late winter, thinking he would run out, then all of a sudden it got warm.

We'll find out soon enough though. For me the tell-tale sign is the auctions, on slow years it seems like there's more wood brought in and much lower prices. I wish the prices were better there, it's an easy way to sell wood. Normally $40 or $50 a truckload though, it's not worth me hauling it there for that.

Never heard of wood auctions. How does that work, where are they held?

 

[chucker]

late spring the sales were poping real well.. then the heat rolled in and the sales droped than rolled in again. for me its fair/good at best till the 4th of july. then it seems like people will hold off in anticipation of fall and winter saving their money for the big buy..... with the near future its averaging 6 weeks of slow time and time to restock for the cold winter...we hope

 

[Swamp Yankee]

Pretty much Status Quo

Surprisingly the number of sellers seems to be way down and the off demand prices per cord are higher than the last few years. That said, in driving around I see a lot of leftover piles in people's yards, but they're typically not big. I think there will be a big push after Labor Day the same as previous years but there may be a second peak in December when they realize that pile of leftovers was really a 1/4 cord and not a full cord.

There was a lot of storm damage from Irene and Alfred but it was mostly broken limbs not uprooted trees so the amounts of firewood are minimal. The power company in this area did a lot of trimming but very few actual takedowns. I've found most of the people that burn wood and buy it only want to deal with carrying from the pile to the stove and have little interest in doing any harvesting on their own.

Only time will I guess, but I'm encouraged to see prices per cord are actually higher even though supplies / sources of raw product are getting better compared to last year.

Take Care

 

[JRepairsK70e]

I am down 10 cords from last springs 35 cord sales due I think to [warm winter and .alot of storm damage wood avail] so now I am cutting and splitting the logs that were bought on spec ,hoping to move it this fall ,always get a couple late orderers so it will be ready for this seasons burnin

 

[fearofpavement]

I think another factor may be the price of natural gas has come down. This could be offset by fuel oil increases but few people in this area heat with oil. Most use electric heat and some natural gas or propane. There are people that heat with wood because it's cheaper. I heat with wood for that reason but if I had to buy the wood, I don't think the spread would be large enough to warrant it. This past year I had a sign in my yard (by the road of course) "firewood for sale" and also put an ad on CL and I did not sell one stick of wood.!!! We didn't burn nearly as much as we usually do either so I am in good shape for this year. On the other hand, I have not brought in much wood this year. Seems like most of the trees I took down were either pine or junk stuff like poplar, tulip tree, etc. I burn "junk wood" in my shop but it was so warm I didn't have many fires this year. Maybe once per week. Things will change, they always do.

 

[D&B Mack]

The bundle business is down about 40% for me right now. Hot summer is keeping some people from sitting by the campfire. Plus, disposable income is down as well. Hopefully, the temps drop coming into August and get some more campers out there. Otherwise, may be selling bulk wood for the winter.

 

[Dalmatian90]

I don't think Natural Gas, at least here in Connecticut, is a competes with wood...yet.

Most places that have gas lines are urbanized -- 1/4 acre or less lots. Yes, I know some burn wood, but it's not like out in the more rural areas -- space to store wood and let smoke dissipate is important.

HOWEVER, that could change significantly -- Can't Light & Power is pushing a 10 year, $2.5 Billion dollar plan to expand their market share from 29% to 50% of residences by greatly expanding their pipes in the ground. (That will come out almost entirely from folks now using oil, which is 52% of Connecticut homes). In towns around me, I'd expect them to at least extend to places like Woodstock Academy, Pomfret Prep, and the Brooklyn Schools & Jail...they'll be going through rural enough areas there's not only a lot of wood stoves already, they'll be going be a number of outdoor wood burners.

 

[giXXer]

We are in the same boat as everyone else it seems. Short, warm winter, several huge storms providing a lot of wood for the guys willing to work, and very few campfires this summer. It's been so dry we have had a burn ban for a while now. Legally, people can still have a campfire, it just seems there aren't very many. I keep the information from people that I have sold wood to in the past so I can call when I am not busy and everyone that I talk to is still sitting on wood from last year.

 

[wdchuck]

Burn bans have been in effect for a few weeks now in the southern part of WI so bundle sales have come to a screeching halt for pretty much everyone based on unchanging quantities at a variety of retailers.

On the upside, split wood is drying much quicker than usual since there's no ground moisture under the pallets of stacked wood.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Bundle Business Now Dropping Off...

... due to the drought and hot weather. I was doing very well in May and June, but July has been a killer. I sold a truckload of loose split logs to a state park manager who said he was going to hand the logs out six to eight at a time to campers for $5 a handout.

He thought I should raise my bundle price from $4 to $5 apiece. Heck, that would cut my sales even further.

 

[ShaneLogs]

I have only sold a little over one cord of Ash this year Been a sad year for selling wood.

 

[tomtrees58]

we still sell wood even at temps 95 but i have restaurants that have brick ovens 1 to 2 cords ever other week

 

[Maplekid]

It's been slow, way below normal. I've sold a few bundles here and there but not as much as usual. I did sell two cords of green wood this weekend to a regular customer that buys 2 cord every summer. The woodpile is drying fast though. I picked up a conveyor from work the other day so hopefully I can get a few more cords piled faster while it's still hot and dry out.