I'm not from SC, but my experience has been that by watching CL, I can generally get a feel for what wood is going for locally. You could also post that you were looking for firewood, and see what the offerings look like. It can take awhile to find a dealer that will be straight with you, but here's some of the things I've learned about buying wood around here:
>prices in early spring are about half the price of mid-winter;
>if you're picky about your species, you can get some wood in March that will burn in November if it's properly split, stacked, and protected from rain;
>don't pay someone for firewood in advance, even if they have references, unless you know them;
>better to buy green and season it yourself so you know what you're getting;
>better to pay a few extra bucks for C/S/S so you can measure it before you cut the check. If you built the racks with measurement in mind, you don't need to throw a tape measure on it--you'll know what a cord will look like;
>ask them over the phone if they cut to order or have a standard range; if they cut to order, ask them how they measure that, then make sure they know your length limit;
>tell people before they bring the wood that you'll be measuring it to see if it's a full cord--if you wait until they're in your yard, it's a little more awkward to bring that up;
>if they claim it's seasoned, ask them what the moisture content is, and tell them you'll be using a moisture meter on any wood they bring over;
>if you find a good dealer, stick with him or her; let the dealer know in advance that you'll be looking for __# of cords for the year, and you'll need them by such-and-such a date, and
>ask them if they can fill that order by that time. Set the date about a month before your cut-off time so that you have other alternatives if they don't come through, and let them know that's your cut-off date, that you'll have to look elsewhere if they don't get the load delivered;
>don't write the check until the wood is unloaded; I've heard stories about people stacking crap wood on the bottom of a load and topping it off with pretty stuff;
>pay by check, not cash; if there's a problem, at least you have a paper trail to prove payment. If they need some cash (my experience has been that wood sellers arrive after banks are closed with an empty tank of gas--it's covered at wood-sellers' school, I think), then tell them that you'll write a check for part of the wood, and write the balance paid in cash on the check;
>better to pay a little extra for someone reliable than to deal with some of the duds that are out there selling wood. It saves a lot of grief over the long run.
Good luck. A lot of us have a rough first year of burning because of wood. You get through it, get smarter, and have the war stories to share later.
