New Wood Selling Scheme... Campfire Wood

[leftyscott]

Lady at work told me there is good demand for "campfire" wood in this area. Seems like everybody enjoys a bonfire when out camping. However, not everybody enjoys or is able to scrounge good quality firewood at the campsite.

I have 1/2 cord of very well-seasoned oak at the homestead. Thinking about packaging 5 splits together and selling it for $5/bunch. I think I could do well if I make the right connections. Wonder if it's legal to do business on the actual campgrounds? Probably not. How many splits in a 1/2 cord, anyway???

Wait a second,,,, I think we already discussed # of splits in a cord.

 

[bogydave]

I am amazed that even here, folks buy fire wood to go camping. (most of them are going to parks & campgrounds & live in the city)
When in some parks & camp grounds, I think getting firewood is next to impossible or required to bring it.
A road side stand near the entrances to the campgrounds may/should work, make it a honor system, put up a pay box.
May even check with the parks & campgrounds, may have a system set up you can supply.
May need to make the splits a little smaller for camp fires & attach some kindling or fire starter of some kind.
(instructions on "how too" could be the starter paper with a birthday cake candle attached)
All the "Quick stores" here have bundles out front for sale.

Good idea, let us know if you have any results.

 

[Danno77]

I like the idea. I have been toying with an honor system since I live near the city campground, which has crappy rounds (free) for burning.

Does your campground not sell firewood either?

 

[Battenkiller]

Most areas with lots of campgrounds nearby have numerous spots along the roadside where folks can buy a "square" of dry wood (usually softwood where I go camping in the Adirondacks) for about $3-5. A square is a little cubicle stuffed with splits, usually around 1'x1' in area. That's about 1.5 cu ft if cut to 18". That's only about $425/cord at $5/square, so you have to decide if that's worth all the work of finding it, cutting it, splitting it (you need to split it small for city folks without axes), stacking it, drying it and carting it over to the sale bins and loading them up.

BTW, you typically get a lot more than 5 splits in a cubical. I think you'll have a hard time charging $1/split anyplace outside of downtown Manhattan.

Personally, one of my greatest pleasures while camping is going out into the woods with a bow saw, a small axe and some rope coming back with fuel, so I can't imagine paying anything for it. But then, I don't stay in public campgrounds.

 

[quads]

Most of my customers are campers. I sell 1/6th of a cord seasoned oak for $25. Every grocery store, hardware store, gas station, Walmart,.....around here all have the little bundles of pine slabwood for $5. It's against the law to haul it in from more than 50 miles away and the state/county/town parks do not allow campers to cut their own in the park. The privately owned campgrounds usually sell their own firewood to their campers.

 

[Danno77]

Most of my customers are campers. I sell 1/6th of a cord seasoned oak for $25.

Quads, how do you facilitate sales? Do you advertise, have a sign, word of mouth, a pile of wood somewhere?

 

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

and the state/county/town parks do not allow campers to cut their own in the park.

Correction, you are allowed to gather anything that is down-and-dead for campfires.

Most places will have an on-you-honor system set up along a busy road. Usually consists of a locked box a wooden sign with a price, a one face-cord crib, a measuring square. This way the customer measures the wood himself and the seller doesn't have to. The seller also only risks losing 1 face cord to theft.

Profit margins always seem high, but I never see anyone getting wealthy off it.

 

[quads]

and the state/county/town parks do not allow campers to cut their own in the park.

Correction, you are allowed to gather anything that is down-and-dead for campfires.

Maybe in state and federal forests? Not in the parks around Castle Rock Lake. At least that's what I'm told by my customers there, so don't know first hand. But of course the parks are well-maintained so probably don't have much dead or down wood anyway.

 

[quads]

Most of my customers are campers. I sell 1/6th of a cord seasoned oak for $25.

Quads, how do you facilitate sales? Do you advertise, have a sign, word of mouth, a pile of wood somewhere?

All of the above, with the exception of advertising. And if someone wants wood and I am not home, I have a can hanging on the post to put money in, the honor system.

 

[kenny chaos]

Two years ago, a guy I know got the contract to run the concesion stand at the local
state park beach. I sold him 1cu.ft. bundles for $2.25 apiece (poplar).
I paid the kids to bundle and it was a nice little gig but he was
not good to do business with. It only lasted one year.
Like someone else said, there's a good profit margin but unless
you go big, most will never make enough to know any better.

 

[webie]

Do some research into camp fires at your local camp grounds . Because of the ash borer here many local camp grounds do not allow fire wood to be brought in at all . 2 camp grounds here provide a small bundle as part of your camping fee and if you want more it is supplied by the camp ground at a cost to the camper . These camp grounds cut and splitt there own wood on sight . Now of course you do still have the city dwellers with the burn pits in the back yard .

 

[smokinj]

We have a few camp grounds that dont sell firewood and you can drive in there anytime and sell. The state park will not let you sell on there grounds but what you use as a camper must be local firewood.

 

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

Maybe in state and federal forests? Not in the parks around Castle Rock Lake. At least that’s what I’m told by my customers there, so don’t know first hand.

You know, I've never camped around there. Of course every county has their own rules, and individual park managers might have the authority to put the kabosh on wood gathering if it causes a problem.

I know Joe Stecker-Kochanski - Maybe I'll drop him a line and find out what the rules at Buckhorn are.

In the central-sands tinder box it would seem to make the most sense to encourage campers to gather everything that's lying on the ground and burn it in a controlled fire pit.

 

[leftyscott]

Just made my first sale Female co-worker is going camping this weekend. She wanted enough wood to keep a fire going for 2 days. Can only fit 20 pieces in her car. I plan on giving her a couple green pieces and a few decent-sized rounds 4"-5" as well to get some longer burns. Now, I just have figure my price. CHA-CHING.

 

[billb3]

you need to get 'em hooked on some of that quick burnin' pine

 

[kenny chaos]

Tie it with some baling twine they can use as a fire starter.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

If I were to start selling that way I would no doubt try on the honor system. I'd package enough for 2-3 campfires and also include some dry kindling with each package.

My theory would be if you sell them good dry wood that burns easy and include some kindling to help start the fire, they will be back and also will spread the word. My reasoning is from watching many campers over the years trying to get a fire going. Most just don't know how! Therefore, I would even consider making an 8 x 11" sheet showing and explaining the best way to get that fire going.

I find if you give more than what is expected that folks will return. Eventually you will get more business than you had planned and you might even then be able to raise the price a bit. But for starting out, I would match the cheapest price in the area or perhaps even undercut them a bit.

I believe I have just done something along the line of my theory when I sold a face cord of "seasoned" firewood. I included kindling and sold it for less than the going rate. I have a large order now. I also expect to get some cheap advertising out of that little sale.

I had another. We have in lower MI an old train depot and some old trains. They give rides (not cheap either!). The folks who ride in the caboose tend to get cold during these rides and have only a little stove like the ones that used to be used. They needed some kindling and was having some problems getting some. One of my friends happened to mention it to me so one day I took him about 4 bushel of good dry kindling. "No sir! No charge as this is going to some good folks who just donate their time." They could hardly believe it nor would they let me get away with giving away this kindling. I received some money that I never expected and yes, I tried to give it back. Well, guess who will be making the kindling for these folks for the next several years. Hint: it won't be my neighbor.

 

[YZF1R]

A buddy of mine sells pine bundles for 3 bucks each. Sits them out in the front along the road with a can for the money. He lives around camp grounds. It's only seasoned a few months, but he says they love it. It pops and spits sparks and such. Plus, he says it's real easy to carry because it just sticks to your hands.

Steve

 

[fire_N_ice]

in my town, people sell near the campgrounds are doing it for the tax break and not so much for an outright profit. $ proof of $500 sales of some sort of farm product, firewood included, means major tax break. Of course there is a minimum property acreage too.