When do people start buying firewood and how do I get more business?

[user 188535]

I am 14 and built a firewood sale stand and I want to know when people will start buying wood. I already have sold a couple of bundles and bags. People really love the free firestarters too. I have been approached while cutting wood by people satisfied with my wood and work ethic. I have ads at the local pool and I have even started to cut my wood to fit the Solo stove/ Solo pit because a lot of people are buying them and they actually burn more wood than regular pits which will be good for my business if people choose wood instead of propane or grocery store wood.

And, no. I will not sell to people who heat with wood because, for the time being, I am unfortunately underequipped for that level of demand.

I will also try to sell pumpkins if I am blessed with enough to sell. So far I have 3 and am hoping on 12.

But in all seriousness, does anyone have any solid advice on how I can grow my business or advertise as I move into the fall when people will be buying more wood? Is Facebook marketplace a good way to advertise or get ripped off/robbed?

 

[Mad Professor]

I was selling cordwood at your age. Had to hire an older cousin with a pickup for deliveries. Was getting a whole $35/cord delivered.....

Put a free add on Craigs List. I avoid Farcebook as they are Google creeps.

 

[Seachaser]

Most people around here wait until the last minute or it gets cold. Also more people use FB than any other.

 

[capetrees]

I used to sell firewood by the cord and found that people buy wood from September up to the end of November for the most part. After that, they start thinking of Christmas and probably have their wood already. After Christmas, you'll sit on most of your wood till next year which is good as it seasons longer. The other thought is that at your level of sales, keep your boxes and bins full so people can rely on the wood. Once disappointed, customers find other places to get their wood and they usually stay the course. Word of mouth and a steady supply will be your best bet for now.

 

[ElevatorGuy]

With the stand you’ve built you’re mostly selling to fire pit people. They will start in October ish. I had a big bonfire last night and it was too hot until darkness set in. I’m not too far from you, I won’t light my wood stove for about 3 months.

 

[user 188535]

With the stand you’ve built you’re mostly selling to fire pit people. They will start in October ish. I had a big bonfire last night and with was too hot until darkness set in. I’m not too far from you, I won’t light my wood stove for about 3 months .

When I say Solo stove, I mean the small metal pit that is selling like hot cake. The reason why I like it is because it burns more wood which will cause people to come to me for more wood if they choose to not use propane. I'm also really hoping that all of my neighbors who are buying them will come to me for the wood.

 

[user 188535]

I was selling cordwood at your age. Had to hire an older cousin with a pickup for deliveries. Was getting a whole $35/cord delivered.....

Put a free add on Craigs List. I avoid Farcebook as they are Google creeps.

Yep. I don't really like Craigslist though. Whenever I meet up with people from Facebook I usually do so at the police station if I am selling something. People at Craigslist are sometimes reluctant to meet there.

 

[ElevatorGuy]

When I say Solo stove, I mean the small metal pit that is selling like hot cake. The reason why I like it is because it burns more wood which will cause people to come to me for more wood if they choose to not use propane. I'm also really hoping that all of my neighbors who are buying them will come to me for the wood.View attachment 1106303

Yeah, I have one too. I lit that Friday night and the big fire was yesterday. Still to hot for either really. I just like fire.

 

[landfakers]

My friend sells the bulk of his wood from sept-nov. like others said December is dead. He gets a few “emergency” orders for folks who weren’t prepared in late winter around February but other than that it just sits the rest of the year

 

[Breckinridge Elkins]

People will wait to the last minute and they expect it to be delivered and stacked without a trail of bark and scraps leading to the wood pile. Factor that in to your price structure.
My most lucrative customers were the fancy hotels and rental cabins. They were also very picky about species and how it was cut and split.

 

[Mad Professor]

People will wait to the last minute and they expect it to be delivered and stacked without a trail of bark and scraps leading to the wood pile. Factor that in to your price structure.
My most lucrative customers were the fancy hotels and rental cabins. They were also very picky about species and how it was cut and split.

I had a woman who expected a half cord carried to a 2nd porch and stacked.

Nope......

 

[composter]

I admire what you are doing, Mr Metsa!I am in Coastal Alabama, and we begin selling when the nights get cool. Football season helps firepit, Chiminea and Solo sales. Few people in our area use wood as primary heat, and is mostly entertainment. We do sell a lot for Thanksgiving and Christmas for family get togethers. We do put ads on C.L. and someties on F.B., but usually sell it at our house in the afternoons.

 

[composter]

Another comment: A lot of members sell cords or other larger quantities,, so buying early and not buying mid-season is normal. I'm thinking you and I sell "as needed", so they buy when cold is coming. Very few of our customers have a place for more than a 2'x2' stack! I assume you are selling dry wood?

 

[spuldup]

We sold wood successfully for over 15 years.
Campfire people will show demand during the summer, dropping when school starts. Then you'll have the fall holidays. Will be done by November/December (here in PA). You need a good location, a big sign, and covered wood. Folks prefer it to be bundled or bagged (the kind you buy for onions), and to have a simple pricing structure. Set your prices so that people will drop a $20 (Like 1 bag for $10, 2 for $15, 3 for $20). You mentioned free firestarters, but kindling is something people will pay for. Parks and KOAs, etc. have been picked dry of it so folks are struggling to start fires, using gas. make sure your wood is aged and DRY to reduce keep the smoke.

Will you have to run the stand or operate on honor system? We did honor system for the last 5 or so years and seldom were shorted.

 

[user 188535]

Another comment: A lot of members sell cords or other larger quantities,, so buying early and not buying mid-season is normal. I'm thinking you and I sell "as needed", so they buy when cold is coming. Very few of our customers have a place for more than a 2'x2' stack! I assume you are selling dry wood?

Yep. Although that I sell a mixture of Maple and hickory and a couple of other different types of woods, oak is the one that I usually move the most because it seasons very fast.

 

[user 188535]

We sold wood successfully for over 15 years.
Campfire people will show demand during the summer, dropping when school starts. Then you'll have the fall holidays. Will be done by November/December (here in PA). You need a good location, a big sign, and covered wood. Folks prefer it to be bundled or bagged (the kind you buy for onions), and to have a simple pricing structure. Set your prices so that people will drop a $20 (Like 1 bag for $10, 2 for $15, 3 for $20). You mentioned free firestarters, but kindling is something people will pay for. Parks and KOAs, etc. have been picked dry of it so folks are struggling to start fires, using gas. make sure your wood is aged and DRY to reduce keep the smoke.

Will you have to run the stand or operate on honor system? We did honor system for the last 5 or so years and seldom were shorted.

I have wood that is also in bundles as well as bags. I sell them for $5 but I might raise the price a little bit this winter. My wood is all dry and I also include free fire starters. I also have loose stacks.

 

[spuldup]

I have wood that is also in bundles as well as bags. I sell them for $5 but I might raise the price a little bit this winter. My wood is all dry and I also include free fire starters. I also have loose stacks.

$5/bag is quite low unless we are talking very small bags. Most people are comfortable to lift 20-25 lb bags. This is the weight range we went with for $10, pre-the most recent inflation era. Now I'd do 12-15 for one bag, 20 for 2 and back that down if demand waned. We are also very near a campground where folks have a $70k pickup pulling a $80k camper, though.

 

[Breckinridge Elkins]

I can't believe you are making money at $5 a bag. I bet your local gas stations have bundles of wood for twice, maybe three times that. Firewood by the bag is a luxury item. People will pay accordingly. What do people get from you that they don't get at the gas station or Walmart? A friendly young man who did all the cutting and splitting himself. Cured wood, sorted by species, with free firestarter. That's a premium product and a premium experience.
Charge accordingly. Don't undercut yourself and never give away your labor.

 

[sean donato]

It takes time, dedication and good word of mouth to get started. Pricing helps. Location helps. There are 3 campgrounds within a 10 minute drive of my place. Moat the cord wood guys around either supply a camp ground or sell bundle wood themselves. It's deffinatly a seasonal thing. Try getting with someone as a supplier, you'd be amazed how much gas stations sell and even the likes of lowes and Walmart sell a ton of bundle wood. By bundle wood I mean 3 reasonable sized pieces of wood not species specific. Most couldn't tell a softwood from a hardwood.

 

[user 188535]

I can't believe you are making money at $5 a bag. I bet your local gas stations have bundles of wood for twice, maybe three times that. Firewood by the bag is a luxury item. People will pay accordingly. What do people get from you that they don't get at the gas station or Walmart? A friendly young man who did all the cutting and splitting himself. Cured wood, sorted by species, with free firestarter. That's a premium product and a premium experience.
Charge accordingly. Don't undercut yourself and never give away your labor.

Well. I am thinking about making bags more expensive and keeping bundles cheap because bundles only cost me about 15 cents a pop to wrap.