Scandanavian Stoves.

bholler said:

I will allow this post but be aware you can't use this site to advertize. This isn't quite that but it's close.

Click to expand...

peakbagger said:

I expect its a niche market. Many insurance companies in the US require a listed stove so if the units are old enough not to have a rating plate then fewer folks will want them. I dont know if there is particular market for old European woodstoves (although I must admit I have a couple of Jotuls in storage). Unless you are getting them for scrap price, by the time you refurb the unit and ship it, I dont know how much margin you have. Generally if folks have to pay much over $1,000 they are going to buy a new EPA stove rather than a refurb. On occasion I see a few private dealers who do refurb old Jotuls and they tend to be on the market for quite awhile. Note some areas of the US require EPA rated stoves and dont allow the installation of ued non rated stoves.

The exception might be wood cookstoves, there really are not a lot of small cookstoves on the market in the US except for utilitarian beasts that dont fit in an average house. Cookstoves are EPA exempt. There are some imports, like Esse but they tend to very pricey. Small stoves like my Jotul 404 will fit in a cabin or smaller house. I dont know the depth of the market but I ran into someone who picks up 404s, cleans them up and resells them to interior decorators for the Boston market.

A general comment is how is your general familiarity with the US? Maybe you have visited but the scale of the country is lot bigger so the logistics of running a business selling heavy bulky objects is more difficult.Over the years I frequently have found great stoves located beyond driving distance but the logistics of getting them shipped means I dont buy them as the seller is unwilling to package them and get them shipped which can cost a minimum of $300. Inevitably to service a large market, the stoves would need to be trucked by freight and that means packaging them on a pallet so they dont get damaged and having the customer have the capability to receive pallet shipments (few do). Ideally you would import to central location and then ship to dealers but then you need to give them their cut.

Click to expand...

Connecticut Yankee said:

There might be a small niche market in stoves for decorative purposes only, but PeakBagger's comments would still apply. As far as working cookstoves go, I suspect Aga pretty much gets all the business from people who want that look.

Also, getting goods through Customs is slow going without an expediter on site. Shipping by boat would be economical but slow, shipping by air, fast but very expensive. Do you have any contacts among antiques dealers in New York and Los Angeles? I imagine they'd be the only people who'd be willing to pay the prices you'd have to charge (and they might already have a relationship with an expediter, to take that headache off your hands).

Click to expand...

TWilk117 said:

Hello, I am also new to this forum. It has been extremely helpful.

I felt inclined to give my two cents to Mr.Morso.

First I will tell you that Scandinavian imports are a growing niche in the states.

Secondly, small or tiny wood stoves is a hugely growing market. The kind you would find in a sail boat or a tiny house on wheels.
I’v seen them installed in school bus homes and even an airstream travel trailer. So I would be looking for the smallest of stoves for that trending market. And they would be cheaper to crate and ship. A lot of folks are building tiny or small houses, and they may be looking for something that sets there’s apart from the rest of the pack.

Cheers
Skål

Click to expand...

wooduser said:

To change the subject if you don't mind----

How is Brexit likely to affect your business?

Click to expand...