Had any luck selling firewood lately?

[neverbilly]

I now have a large woodlot and have toppled trees and will be taking more out for trails and thinning to grow better selected trees. I burn a fire outside in the firepit 3-4 nights/wk but the burning season here is not that long. So, I got too much wood. The market around here is not that great, but what the heck, might try to sell some. Anyone got any tips for selling firewood?

And has anyone had any luck selling small bundles to convenience stores? I would think it would have to be a 'mom and pop' convenience store to have any luck at making a sale to the owner/manager. If you sold/sell bundles, how much did you put in each one, how did you tie them and what did you charge? I even thought that if the owner is reluctant, you could do it on consignment... deliver 50 bundles or whatever and then when they run out, or x-months later or some similar arrangement, you could get paid then. A very simple consignment invoice could bind them.

 

[Komatsu350]

I used to sell bundles to a bp for 6 years. The station was at the highway exit for the park campgrounds so it did pretty well in summer. I sold them 5 or 6 decent splits of both hard and softwoods, 5 pieces of kindling and some rolled newspaper tied up with bailer twine for $2.00. They then sold it for $4.99. I sold about $1200 worth april-october and then barely any through the winter. The owner would call when he had 10 bundles left and I would bring more the next day. He paid me in cash when I delivered. Was a pretty good gig. My best year ever was $1600. Kinda wish I still did it.

 

[kennyp2339]

I use to read meters for a couple years and along my one route there was an old timer who would split fire wood and load up an 18 wheeler, never asked him how much he was getting but it had to me something worth it to split 10 cords at his age.

 

[pernox]

Big brand convenience stores are likely owned by a local franchise, so I'm not sure I'd count them out without trying first.

My buddy's son works at a convenience/food place nearby and pat of good work is to package the firewood bundles - they buy a cord at a time from the low bidder and package it themselves. Our town triples in population in summer with all the camps, so they turn it over pretty quick.

 

[RobbieB]

I buy firewood by the bundle at the grocery store. It's very nice, very dry, splits with a hatchet (make kindling) and 15.5 liters wrapped in seran sells for 6 bucks. Lasts me for more than a day.

 

[jetsam]

I measured a pallet of birch "firewood" at home Depot and did the math.

$2200/cord.

Man. I would be making $100k on a couple hours of work a week if I could get people to pay me that...

 

[RobbieB]

Yup, my little bundles work out to just under $1400 / cord. Every grocery store has them. Romance and ambiance -

 

[jetsam]

I can get a fair amount of romance for $1400...

 

[woodhog73]

I sold 14 face cords between November and March at $150 on CL for pick up it's been a great year between my land and my families land we cut a lot of wood plus combined with warmer than normal winter so lots of wood to sell.

 

[neverbilly]

I sold 14 face cords between November and March at $150 on CL for pick up it's been a great year between my land and my families land we cut a lot of wood plus combined with warmer than normal winter so lots of wood to sell.

A face cord, what is that, a third of one cord? And you get $150 for that and people come get it, you don't have to deliver? Where do you live?

 

[Jazzberry]

My son sold a few cords of oak this season but pine is worthless due to our bark beetle infestation. Mills locally won't take pine anymore so tree companies now have to pay to dispose of them. Ads everywhere for free pine rounds. I have had 6 loads of logs delivered to my backyard this year for free. I could get all the logs I want delivered any time.

 

[bboulier]

I enjoy walking by the firewood outside of the Giant's grocery store and figuring out how much money I saved this year by splitting my own wood.

 

[jetsam]

My son sold a few cords of oak this season but pine is worthless due to our bark beetle infestation. Mills locally won't take pine anymore so tree companies now have to pay to dispose of them. Ads everywhere for free pine rounds. I have had 6 loads of logs delivered to my backyard this year for free. I could get all the logs I want delivered any time.

That sounds pretty great. I love pine- seasons in one year, burns hot.

Do the bark beetles just eat the bark or do they mulch up the wood too?

 

[Jazzberry]

They eat into the wood a little I think. At least we find a few bore holes into the wood when were splitting them but there are thousands of trails on the bark between the bark and the wood.