I am sure he is tripling or quadrupling his money. But that is none of my business. There must be money in owning a lakeside campground. He has a mega dollar truck and trailer set up and he bragged his truck is so new “it hasn’t had it’s first oil change yet”
Firewood seller down the road from me, that does a bit of volume, is now advertising wholesale hawking bundles of pine on a skid .
I don't think you are making enough money. I'm selling for what your deal is and not happy about it even at that. I raised my price for this season and still don't think it's high enough. (When the season arrives, I'll get a better feel for it.) Look at how much EOGnashvilleguy is getting. Of course, he is delivering and I'm not talking about that. Your buyer is requiring you to put significantly more labor into it. I don't think it's that great a deal myself. It is HARD to find people like you who can provide seasoned wood of equal length and 'good-looking' non-gnarly splits, and truly oak and not some crazy species that the provider can't even identify. Your buyer knows how difficult it is to find reputable sellers like you. Jack it up. I don't know your market but your wood will most likely sell in the next season or two if he does not buy it.
I've posted many times that sellers aren't asking enough for the expense, time and hazards that are involved in producing and selling firewood. I was out early this morning cutting in 80+ degree heat with 90% humidity. Not fun what so ever. Delivering to a repeat customer later this week that tipped me $50 on his last purchase. He is a 130 mile roundtrip for me. I'll have about $65 invested just in fuel: driving to cut the wood, fuel and mix for the saw, splitter, and delivery. Even though I use a wire brush on any log that has dirt on it, I managed to hit an imbedded rock this morning and wasted a fairly new chain. Unexpected costs are always part of the $$$ drain on my profits.
Anybody selling heating firewood yet? I had a very good June selling heating wood. And have a cord and a two rick delivery for later this week. In three years of selling, I've never had a July purchase and only one in August. 110 degree heat index all this week, so no cutting to make up for my woodyard draw down. My cord delivery is a 240 mile round trip!! Asked for an additional $40 fuel fee and no pushback. Wish I had asked for more since I didn't add any charge for the extra driving time. Diesel should be under $5 a gallon shortly after the big drop in oil today.
Just my usual bundle sales. Sold some back in late Spring. One regular will buy some in the Summer if almost out (half cord).
I have 6 face cords ready for the campground owner. I will split 4 more face cords and call him up to come n get it! I will then reevaluate if I want to sell him anymore. My price for the rest of customers is going to bump to $100 a face because it is dry primo oak. I don’t deliver. Thanks for all your thoughts.
My firewood business hasn’t slowed down this month even though I am at $260 a Rick. This is my cord of white oak I delivered today for $740. $300 a Rick in November is surely possible.
Had a challenging delivery of 1&1/4 ricks Tuesday. The customer didn’t want me to go across his freshly sodded lawn with my wheelbarrow. So I made over 50 trips to his storage rack at about 125’ away with my wife’s laundry basket loaded with white oak. Glad I didn’t turn that request down. $100 tip!!!
I've got about 30 cord of fuel wood sold for winter so far. Was contacted by the purchasing manager from the Tribal casino down the road. They want about two cord per week, one of smoker wood and one of fireplace wood. 10 mile round trip, dump and run, they pay cash. Might be a good gig. Campfire wood sales are down this year due to everyone selling it around here.
I stack the firewood 99% of the time and that is built into my price. And most of the time I have to wheelbarrow it to the storage place. Had a customer about 18 months ago tell me to just dump it on the driveway. He wanted his young sons to move and stack it. Maybe for character building?
And sometimes I have to re-stack the wood. The rack was level to begin with, but slowly started to take on a serious list due to no support on the front three legs when loaded with over 1,500 lbs.
I delivered about 150 CUFT of 17 month seasoned white oak in that cord load. 1&1/4 in my truck and 2&1/4 in my trailer. I advertise my ricks as being 50 CUFT vs 43. I have a vast supply of firewood to cut and build custmer loyalty by delivering more than required. That is why I own this market and get top dollar.
Just about every customer I have complains about being shorted, getting green wood, and not the right type of wood. Other sellers make the firewood business here a cake walk for me.
