How big of a premium for a 1/2 cord or cord of BL? If an average mixed cord of hardwood fetches say $250, what can BL bring?
I know here in upstate NY it's common to just have BL mixed in with various other hardwoods, and I've never really seen dealers around here use it as a selling point. Willing to bet most dealers and wood burners don't know it's BTU value.
In the past, I've bought cordwood. Sometimes it had bl used in. Sometimes it didn't. No different price.
You'll get your hoarders card revoked for selling black locust.. Seriously when I have seen BL at firewood auction it brings a better price than other hardwoods. I guess it depends on your market. If you could save it for late winter when everyone is running low on wood and desperate you could command top dollar. Selling black locust.
If i sell it it would be for next Winter. Thats IF decide to sell it. Other than my three "easy scores" of it, albeit not much, im really working it for the stuff i acquired this week. With todays small load its about a cord. Between the one im working and the other two i can, i'd say two cords remain.
I know, I know, shame on me for even thinking it, but if the premium was decent id seriously consider it. Being hard to come by for me i probably wont. Its common enough around here, just not common as a scrounge. 3 of the 4 areas i am/will be working for it are roadside tangles where tornado blew some over. I looked farther back from where i was cutting today and maybe 5-6 trees/upper trunks down. Id have to buck and walk rounds out like im doing now but another 100'
There is a sign for “seasoned firewood” on my way home. I think I have this right, but I’ll grab a photo next time I’m stopped there. May be crazy city prices but Per cord: $250 mixed $300 oak $350 cherry, locust or hickory
I always see higher prices for Oak and occasionally BL. Set a price and go from there. Easier to come down in price than go up.
So my nephew made me my first facebook account ever because he said Craigslist is old Uncle Chris you need to get with the times. He made it last week and i had a sale the first 10 minutes i had it. It took a few days to get approved for all local town yard-sales sites. Yesterday i had $1200 of deliveries booked. $300 a cord,one guy I quoted $325 but then i told him i was more comfortable at $300 because i dont want people thinking im taking advantage. Or people in that town saying he charged me $300 but you got charged $325 and lets face it for $25 bucks he’ll be worth it for his business next season. He was pretty impressed with that move. Nightmare stories about these people getting ripped off with green wood sold as seasoned. Customers are loving my Ash, it sounds like im loading my truck with Louisville sluggers.
Wow that's awesome! Yes, nightmare wood dealers are why I switched to making my own firewood. If you make your customer base happy, they'll keep coming back. Ride the ash wave! Lots of it coming, and of course other wood dealers will be selling it too...
Saw a guy here in upstate NY selling black locust for $60/face cord, with only 3 available...That's the NY way of saying one cord, by the way. But anyway, $180 for a cord of black locust is pretty dang cheap to me! Pretty sure freshly split though but still, kind of a testament to the regional differences in wood prices. Not a ton of wood burners around here especially in suburban areas beecause we have so much natural gas. Heck I have a natural gas furnace as my sole heat source and still burn 3 cords a year.
In this part of Vermont it's nearly impossible to actually find someone locally selling wood, let alone black locust. I live very close to NY but they can't deliver across the state line to me. Almost all the FB ads are between $200-250 for a full cord, with a few over $250 if they are seasoned (which is probably a lie) or all one species. I would pay a premium for black locust, hickory or black birch, only because the BTU value is so high compared to other common species. Most of the log truck loads around here are mostly soft maple, yellow birch, beech with a bit of red oak or sugar maple mixed in.
Why would cherry be in same category as locust and hickory? Isn't it much lower BTU? Does it have a premium because it has unique bark, nice wood color?
I'm thinking for smoking and or the smell when it is burnt. I sell it for holiday ambience fires in my little bins for $25.
I agree that the premium is most likely due to those who smoke with it. Although, another advantage would be that it dries quicker than the other woods listed. I enjoy marinading salmon, or pork chops in pineapple juice, rubbing with a little butter and then slow cooking over cherry wood. In a pinch, a handful of fresh cherry leaves sprinkled over charcoal smells mighty nice as well.
I get $50 more a cord for locust and I have people almost fighting to get their hands on the little I get. As for the reason cherry is so high, some people love the aroma and some think it has more heat...true story. Can’t tell you how many people around here want cherry
Locust is certainly worth more it seems. I have a couple of people that that's all they want. Some people think that its gold which I can agree with them on that to a point.
Neighbor up the road has a stack of BL splits. I dont think the pallet is 4x4 maybe 3x4. Its 4' tall at least. $40.00 takes it. He has several locust trees down that he's cutting. I have a feeling he won't get a lot of takers. Maybe I'll go in and make an offer for all of it
