Sounds like the guy I work for, 5g, contrails, fake sun, flat earth, snow made from dish soap….. I could go on
Received a "cord" of white oak order Thursday afternoon for delivery yesterday morning. After showing me where to stack the wood, he said he would be right back with $290. I told him it was $290 times three. So he didn't know the difference between a rick/face cord/cord. He realized he was confused about the terminology and amounts. He offered to purchase it all even though he only burns one face cord a year. I suggested he purchase one and pay me for some of my time and fuel. We came to an agreement and I came back home with two face cords. I considered parking somewhere in Nashville for a hour and seeing if I could land an order, but decided not to. Received an order :30 after arriving home. Oh well.
In my parents hometown there is a guy who parks on the side of the road with a load of firewood. He has been doing it as long as I can remember, so it must work. I always thought it must be boring waiting around for someone to stop. Many of the people I sell to think 1/3 is a cord. It really messes them up when they call and ask my price for a cord.
I frequently see older guys parked on wide shouldered intersections in Nashville and surrounding areas trying to sell their loads. I'll see the same people still there a hour or more later when returning home. Not my idea of being productive. Will start asking customers if they want three face cords when they order a cord. Have probably made over a 100 cord deliveries in the past three years without incident, but don't care to have another awkward moment.
Radar has looked scary all day with all sorts of weather warnings, but just a little rain and wind. No deliveries or production today. Just sitting on my ash, napping, and some chainsaw maintenance and sharpening.
Had my phone on me all day for weather alerts. Didn't realize until I did a news search a few minutes ago that tornadoes had touched down within a few miles of my location in all directions. Dodged those bullets but many others didn't. 65 degree weather in December usually means bad weather coming up from the SW. Warm weather this month has slowed sales, but actually enjoyed the break from a very busy October and November.
Has been a warm late November into middle December in middle TN. Have noticed a dichotomy of firewood sales. Less purchases by indoor burners, but more by outdoor burners. So on track to match last cold December which was my best selling month since starting this hobby.
After a lull in the action business is picking up again. Former customers are starting to loosen their grip on cash and picking up more first time customers. 2 Saturday, 2 today, 1 tomorrow, 1 Wednesday so far. I may finally clear out my oldest stock before winter is over. Some frozen precip in the forecast would turbo charge sales.
Three deliveries today and $80 in tips. Seven hours from departing to returning home and a lot of wheelbarrowing and stacking. Have delivered three Christmas gift deliveries this week and have another tomorrow. All the recipients have been over joyed with their gift. Need to market this harder.
Heading out shortly for my deliveries. A lady contacted me yesterday about getting a rick of firewood with less than 12" pieces. No way was I going to cut +or- 225 pieces of wood in half. Been there done that. So I mentioned I had a lot of oak and hickory shorts/cut offs. Sent her a picture and she said bring it. So $275 for a face cord of this stuff! I put a piece of tape 11" long on my tailgate and checked any piece that I thought was close when loading last night. One person's trash is another's treasure. Believe it is for a Nectre N65 stove.
Just made my cut offs delivery. Stacked it all on a 6x4 pallet I brought. About 60/30 white oak & hickory with a little sugar maple and black walnut. $295 with the tip for a face cord. He was an Irishman, so the tip was for a pint I deserved for all the wheelbarrowing.
No deliveries this Christmas, but three tomorrow. 69 degrees yesterday and 63 today. Not great weather for selling firewood. A lot of 40s in the forecast for January, so the new year should be off to a great start.
Four face cords of hickory leaving the wood yard tomorrow. Delivered two today. White Oak use to be my main firewood. Lately I have been selling a lot of 50/50 face cords of white oak and hickory.
With my scheduled deliveries this weekend, will move about 250 face cords this year. Thought I might do a little more, but has been a warm Winter up until today. My main restaurant customer has increased their hours for lunch and brunch, so they are going through more hickory per month. Just this one customer would make my firewood sales for an entire year bodacious. Have another dozen or so customers that smoke or burn 2-4 face cords of hickory a year. Have about 75 face cords of hickory inventory, so think I am OK.
Thought I would have today off from deliveries. Nope. 2.5 face cords out the door. A repeat customer today is a drummer in a well known pop band. They travel all over the world and I occasionally follow where they are. He has a custom built brick ring around his Solo stove and burns all day long when home. He is a great tipper, so gets an extra amount of my very driest white oak. Another delivery was to a dude whose HVAC went out last week but has a Napoleon stove that heats most of his home. He received a generous amount of sugar maple to get him through a cold January.
