After getting an ibc tote of ash and 17 cu ft wagon full of pine to mix in, moving some wood, the skid loader and moving my truck, my first load of bundles for this year got wrapped. I got that done last night before the rain. The 5 by 8 trailer holds 50 bundles with ease. I plan on loading this and my truck to make my deliveries. My longest route is about 100 miles round trip. I use the little wood stand behind the trailer gate to wrap my bundles. I did all 50 in about an hour and 15 minutes. Ill try to keep this thread up to date with each load.
Gas stations and stores in my area. One regional gas station chain and a national chain. Then some other local family owned stores.
Nice looking bundles and splits. 100 miles you are ambitious! The five i sell to are ten minutes way luckily. Coming into the slow season here. Have you increased your price like everything else? I went up 10%.
I started at $3 last year for my first sale, then immediately went to $3.50 and ended the year selling them at $3.75. This year im starting at $4. Im curious, how do you make your bundles?
Simple jig made from scrap wood. Bundles are 8x8x16 so .60 cubic feet. I downsized from .75 cubic ft. last year and nobody noticed (like most every product you buy in the grocery store). Biggest PITA is precutting the 12" stretch wrap to length as a full roll is too cumbersome to use as is. I make the splits smaller than regular cord wood so 6-8 per bundle. No handles either. I looked into using firewood mesh bags but those are pricey, but would save a lot of time. If i did quantity weekly i would but have sold roughly 1000 bundles since Thanksgiving. $110 for 30 bundles is my normal delivery. (up $10) A couple can take a double order. Biggest PITA is keeping a year round inventory of dry wood...and sorted! I "grade" splits for quality and use 50% shoulder season wood when i can.
At those prices you should be able to sell every stick you have! I sell mine (just over 1 cubic foot) for $5. I have the lowest price in my county.
Made 20 bags last night. First time doing these and it was a bit of a struggle. I used a 5 gal bucket to get them to the bottom, otherwise they get caught on the mesh and don't fill well. Filled mostly with silver maple. I use a five inch roll and I can fit it in between the legs on my bundle stand so it goes pretty smoothly. I grade my splits too. Im trying to save the ugly stuff for bulk campfire wood. Most of what I have is ash and silver maple so it all season fairly quickly. I wouldn't mind getting more pine, hybrid willow, or cottonwood to mix in as it burns fast and lots of flames.
I imagine it was a PITA. After i replied yesterday i got to thinking about the bags and looked online for bags. Found a deal for .52c each but have to buy a 1000. Got to thinking of a jig and 10 or 12" sonitube forms would work. Fill the tube and slide the bag over and pull the tube out...filled. Somewhere theres a video on here of a seller who does volume like that...might be Woodshax. If you dont mind my asking what will you get for a bag of nuggets?
Got mine for around. 60 or .65 cents. I figured I can get more for my end cuts selling them in bags than selling them for a discount in bulk.
Interesting concept on bagging the end cuts. I try to dispose of them in bulk. This idea might be much better and more profitable!
I have/had major dilemmas with cut offs too. I had two regulars for them (one guy loved them) but both finally switched to 16" wood. Started giving them to my landlord for his stove. Ive advertised them on CL and sell an occasional load. Back in January i had a couple customers from CL ad that were thrilled to death to get them and hopefully will be regulars. One guy called a week later asking for more which i had. One customer for 16" black locust actually bucked the splits to 8" for his stove. Ive got plenty of BL shorts for him next year as i separate these out. Maybe ill try the bags on CL???
I sold bundles retail last year at the roadside stand. Maybe ill do that this year and try the bags. I get most customers through Google maps and Facebook. Ill be a little hesitant to advertise this year just so I have enough for bundles. The bags are kind of an experiment. I've heard people like them better than bundles but these are kinda huge and heavy. I've told some stores that and they a few were interested in trying them both as well so we will see how things go when I get them out there.
Keep us updated on your progress! I sell 2 different sizes of bundles and this would be another nice option.
