EODDiver did you join/serve during the 70's? Can't enlarge the pic but you look familiar. It's been bugging me for awhile now
I ask because a lot of the Solo stoves don't look able to take a 16. I have about 4 cord of 16s left at the moment. My buddy has one of the larger models and it will take them, but his is the biggest or next to biggest. They now have 'table top' stoves. lol Looks to take splits about the size of a Nutty Buddy.
77 degrees today as a high but still delivered three face cords of hickory total. My last hickory delivery of the day was to a major repeat customer. He is a big time realtor in Nashville and has recommended me to well over a dozen customers. Realtors are the best people to get on the good side of since they deal with home owners in all regards. He burns a lot in his fireplace during the winter and a good amount in his patio Solo stove in the spring and fall.
58 face cords delivered the first two months of this year. More than double last year. Cutting and buying two to three face cords a day knowing I need a lot of firewood going into this year's winter. My local logger has a large amount of hickory produced, so concentrating on hickory at the moment. Bank about $225 net each load
More than doubled my sales the first two months of the year and March is about on par with last year. Think I sold forward a lot of sales in January which was very cold for middle TN. My 50/50 hickory and white oak face cords are now my major deliveries. Customers like the combination of these two woods; hot burning and long-lasting. $70 in tips yesterday which paid for my diesel and a quality case of IPAs. First delivery yesterday was to a guy who ordered a cord in January. He actually only wanted a face cord, so bit my tongue and took the other two home with a lot of time and diesel lost. Pays to remain friendly when the customer is costing you bucks. Have my inventory built back up into the 130-140 face cord range. 95% hickory and white oak.
Mostly bitternut, but do have around four face cords of shagbark seasoning that should be ready to burn in a few months. This is the shagbark I cut down last September on a customer's commercial property.
Weird, but I get a lot of people in TN and beyond asking me about how to sell firewood because they want to get into the business. I tell them to give me a call and I will give them my secrets on how to be successful. After I tell them to do something else because it is hard and dangerous work, I usually end the call with a sour note. Selling firewood is a hard job that most don't understand.
I do seem to have a talent for making the bank in whatever I develop a passion for. Comes with hard work and a lot of risk taking. One of my last at sea tours onboard an aircraft carrier I was apparently the only person receiving a daily delivery of the Wall Street Journal. Mail and supplies are delivered almost daily onboard an aircraft carrier. So was constantly being asked about how to invest in the stock market even though I never spoke to anyone about my passion. Nothing remains a secret for long amongst 5,500 sailors. I would tell them to invest as much as they could afford in a low cost index fund. That wasn’t what they wanted to hear. They wanted me to tell them what stocks would double their investment in a year. Bottom line, the stock market or firewood isn’t a get rich quickly scheme.
Joined in 82. I have that average everyday guy look. A lot of people call me Greg even though I am a Doug. I answer up to Greg without skipping a beat.
Lots of orders this time of year for outdoor burning and smoking. Unfortunately most want only half a face cord. I tell them it will be a few days because of my distance and most seem fine with that. Made three half face cord deliveries today just with my truck. Good bank and $30 extra with tips. Two of the customers were not home, so had time to stack neatly and snap some pictures.
When it comes to cherry, hickory and white oak, I own the Nashville market. Most other sellers are tree trimming service hacks. The good stuff doesn’t grow in Nashville’s backyards.
Had a 1/2 Rick order of hickory from a repeat this evening. Told him it could be a few days and he was fine with that. I have not had more than a three day gap in deliveries in two years, so blindly tell folks I will be there in a few days.
Posted a fresh inventory YouTube yesterday. Customers like to see what they are getting for their Benjamins. I will likely sell double my current inventory over the next 12-14 months, so busy when not delivering. https://youtu.be/ufeDqiBKw9k
Found this awesome red oak while wondering on my property. Some of the prettiest red oak I’ve ever cut. Would have made awesome flooring or cabinets, but I am in the BTU business. My Badland 3 ton jack came in handy. Jacked the tree off the ground and had it bucked up in :20.
