Campfire Wood Sales

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EPS

EPS

Burning Hunk
Jun 5, 2015
165
NH
Last summer I tried my hand at selling some excess pine to campers headed to nearby camping sites and made a pretty good system out of it. On an average weekend I'd pull in about $30 in cash! I'm looking to increase my offerings this Summer and will be building a better log store soon. My biggest problem is looking for a decent money box. Since the spot I sell from is out of sight from my house, I need something secure. The chained-shut old tool box worked ok for a few months, but was broken into late into the season. Does anyone who sells campfire wood have any recommendations on a secure money box that locks and cannot walk away?

Thanks!
 
Thank you. Would you know the ballpark cost for one of these, though? I can't seem to find it on the website. They look a bit pricey
 
I'm sure they are. I posted mostly so that you could see the design. A local welding shop could probably make you up something for a lot less, under $200. Give them a call and ask.
 
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EPS said:
Last summer I tried my hand at selling some excess pine to campers headed to nearby camping sites and made a pretty good system out of it. On an average weekend I'd pull in about $30 in cash! I'm looking to increase my offerings this Summer and will be building a better log store soon. My biggest problem is looking for a decent money box. Since the spot I sell from is out of sight from my house, I need something secure. The chained-shut old tool box worked ok for a few months, but was broken into late into the season. Does anyone who sells campfire wood have any recommendations on a secure money box that locks and cannot walk away?

Thanks!
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Neighbor of mine sells honey. He just chained a locking ammo box to a tree with a slot cut for cash.
 
A friend of mine said that a security camera pointed at the setup is a pretty good deterrent.

Edit: the camera doesn't even have to be connected to anything. Just make it look like it is.
 
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SpaceBus said:
A friend of mine said that a security camera pointed at the setup is a pretty good deterrent.

Edit: the camera doesn't even have to be connected to anything. Just make it look like it is.
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I have a trail cam that's motion activated, but I'd have a hard time pointing it only at the stand and not having it triggered by every passing car.
 
EPS said:
I have a trail cam that's motion activated, but I'd have a hard time pointing it only at the stand and not having it triggered by every passing car.
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You need an obvious security camera. Folks need to see it for the camera to be a deterrent. I would put up some surveillance signs or monitoring signs as well.
 
How do you ensure the people picking up the wood actually put money in the box. That would be my first concern.
 
Seasoned Oak said:
How do you ensure the people picking up the wood actually put money in the box. That would be my first concern.
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Most folks buying campfire wood aren't thieves. Also, being out a few bundles of wood isn't a big deal, someone stealing the money locker is.
 
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SpaceBus said:
Most folks buying campfire wood aren't thieves. Also, being out a few bundles of wood isn't a big deal, someone stealing the money locker is.
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Iv read a few stories about people having wood stolen right off their stacks here on hearth.
 
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Seasoned Oak said:
Iv read a few stories about people having wood stolen right off their stacks here on hearth.
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A few stories from decades of forum posts. Sounds like the definition of rare. Most thieves also know their marks on a personal basis meaning firewood theft is usually from a family member or friend. I highly doubt there are firewood bandits on the loose. The person I know of that sells camp wood has only had one theft, and it was his father in law who wanted to have a bonfire. Otherwise a lockbox and fake security camera has been a success.
 
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Most folks in general are not thieves. Still i dont see any reason to believe campers are any better or any worse than any other group. If the honor system worked long term you would see a lot more of it.
 
Seasoned Oak said:
Most folks in general are not thieves. Still i dont see any reason to believe campers are any better or any worse than any other group. If the honor system worked long term you would see a lot more of it.
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It is used pretty much everywhere local to me. Bins of wood outside of stores and folks have to come in to pay for it. There's even a pump and then pay station here. Everyone says there's a few thieves every winter, but not enough to worry about. If someone is willing to steal bundles of firewood or a few gallons of diesel then they clearly needed it bad.
 
You could also try using a web based service like Venmo. A lot of self service farm stands around here offer Venmo.
 
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SpaceBus said:
It is used pretty much everywhere local to me.
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If only all of us could live out in the woods in Maine. Enjoy it , the rest of us pay the price of progress. Nice to know there are pockets of real people still out there. A big chunk of the country is stuck in the zombie apocalypse. Iv had people steal a bucket of aluminum cans out of my shed. Must have made at least 50C on that haul. Most of the dopers around are too lazy to steal firewood and its hard to turn it into quick cash. We did have one bozo that stole the manhole covers off the street trying to turn it in for steel at $5 per hundred lbs . The name of the water Co was engraved right on it ,he didnt get too far. And this is a small town of 8000 . The bigger cities are worse.
 
Seasoned Oak said:
If only all of us could live out in the woods in Maine. Enjoy it , the rest of us pay the price of progress. Nice to know there are pockets of real people still out there. A big chunk of the country is stuck in the zombie apocalypse. Iv had people steal a bucket of aluminum cans out of my shed. Must have made at least 50C on that haul. Most of the dopers around are too lazy to steal firewood and its hard to turn it into quick cash. We did have one bozo that stole the manhole covers off the street trying to turn it in for steel at $5 per hundred lbs . The name of the water Co was engraved right on it ,he didnt get too far. And this is a small town of 8000 . The bigger cities are worse.
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It's hard to fence firewood ;lol
 
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SpaceBus said:
It is used pretty much everywhere local to me. Bins of wood outside of stores and folks have to come in to pay for it. There's even a pump and then pay station here. Everyone says there's a few thieves every winter, but not enough to worry about. If someone is willing to steal bundles of firewood or a few gallons of diesel then they clearly needed it bad.
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Try that around here and you'll see a $500,000 Maserati rollling off with free gas and firewood in the first 10 minutes.
 
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jetsam said:
Try that around here and you'll see a $500,000 Maserati rollling off with free gas and firewood in the first 10 minutes.
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I once rode in a Maserati. The owner referred to the Maserati as "the little black car". Could have had some firewood under his golf clubs! This was in DC, I couldn't imagine Long Island!
 
Seasoned Oak said:
If only all of us could live out in the woods in Maine. Enjoy it , the rest of us pay the price of progress. Nice to know there are pockets of real people still out there. A big chunk of the country is stuck in the zombie apocalypse. Iv had people steal a bucket of aluminum cans out of my shed. Must have made at least 50C on that haul. Most of the dopers around are too lazy to steal firewood and its hard to turn it into quick cash. We did have one bozo that stole the manhole covers off the street trying to turn it in for steel at $5 per hundred lbs . The name of the water Co was engraved right on it ,he didnt get too far. And this is a small town of 8000 . The bigger cities are worse.
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It's allot nicer over towards us. Lol. There are still issues here but I don't even have a key to my house honestly.
 
bholler said:
It's allot nicer over towards us. Lol. There are still issues here but I don't even have a key to my house honestly.
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Mostly those migrating in from the city. Our local real estate agency had the brilliant idea about 15 yrs ago(and still doing it today) to advertise in Philly about all the cheap housing here ,lured in all the dregs of society. Used to be a great old town.
 
Seasoned Oak said:
Mostly those migrating in from the city. Our local real estate agency had the brilliant idea about 15 yrs ago(and still doing it today) to advertise in Philly about all the cheap housing here ,lured in all the dregs of society. Used to be a great old town.
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LOL, I guess I'm a dreg.
 
Seasoned Oak said:
Most folks in general are not thieves. Still i dont see any reason to believe campers are any better or any worse than any other group. If the honor system worked long term you would see a lot more of it.
Click to expand...
I guess your safest bet is to never sell campfire wood...or anything else for that matter.
 
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