Revising Firewood Prices

[gensetsteve]

Cant say I am to bothered about big volumes, I am just not tooled up for it. There will always be people giving it away, either through ignorance or able to do so by getting their timber at low costs, maybe growing it or arb arisings.

 

£90 for 1.3 cube = about £75 a cube, buying in cord at £55 a ton then there is just no money at all in that. I would rather just sell a lower volume of a premium product at a price that generates a decent return. I am to old to be charging round the countryside half the night for no money having already done an 8 hour day in the showroom.

 

It does occur to me that perhaps a lower price combined with a realistic delivery charge may encourage local buyers. I sell quite a bit at 10 miles + away. Crated kiln dried for me will while the pound is strong form a part of my stocks for mid/late winter at least this time. Have had 2 new customers order recently purely from how the crates look in another customers garage.

 

I am surprised Nick at the prices in your area, its one of the richer areas of the country. I know of at least one stove dealer down you way who sells at full retail, take it or leave it. He says people in the area are time poor, they are so busy making money in London they don't have time to go fishing round for better prices. Suspect your customers may be retired so have all the time in the world.

A

 

We are in the test valley full of well off people but prices are low and I would suspect lots are retired so could be. The rich dont get rich by spending it.

[farmer_ben]

Cant say I am to bothered about big volumes, There will always be people giving it away, either through ignorance or able to do so by getting their timber at low costs, maybe growing it or arb arisings.

 

A

 

Thats my feeling. I may well loose 20 % of custom, but I will still be making the same amount of money for 20% less work. What I really want to achieve is more return for my work and maybe start investing in cord wood again. If I dont change my prices according to the rise in raw material then progression isnt possible. And im not the kind of chap to be sitting still...or worse still going backwards.

[eggsarascal]

Not sure I quite understand simon?

 

I didnt say premium hw ie just ash...ill market the load as a premium load. Containing just hw.

 

Im happy to raise around 20%. If I loose a few customers then so be it, ill still make more money then previous years for same amount of work. Dont want to price myself out of the game completely (which im sort of nervous I will be anyway!)

 

I don't mean this in a nasty way Ben, but why would I buy mixed hardwood off you at £120/cube when I could buy kiln dried ash at the same money.

 

http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/firewood-forum/77541-kiln-dried-ash-available-bulk.html

 

If I could have found some decent storage I would have bought this in.....Split the crates and sold them as loose loads........have I been here before!?

[Mortimer Firewood]

Best thing i did was put my prices up were selling more now than ever premium product ie ASH BEECH -20% MC is worth £130 a cube all day long. The time effort and money that goes in to firewood is a lot so charge accordingly.

[shavey]

I don't mean this in a nasty way Ben, but why would I buy mixed hardwood off you at £120/cube when I could buy kiln dried ash at the same money.

 

http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/firewood-forum/77541-kiln-dried-ash-available-bulk.html

 

If I could have found some decent storage I would have bought this in.....Split the crates and sold them as loose loads........have I been here before!?

 

yes you have and i looked into the same idea :thumbup:

[farmer_ben]

I don't mean this in a nasty way Ben, but why would I buy mixed hardwood off you at £120/cube when I could buy kiln dried ash at the same money.

 

http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/firewood-forum/77541-kiln-dried-ash-available-bulk.html

 

If I could have found some decent storage I would have bought this in.....Split the crates and sold them as loose loads........have I been here before!?

 

I know exactly what you mean simon. Big firewood guy at bury is more expensive then this still, yet he will be flat out all winter. We will see how it goes. Id rather up prices, stay in logs and make a useful profit, the stay were I was.

 

Only time will tell.

[Tim Stobart Tree Surgery]

I'm on an Island, there's only a handfull of firewood suppliers, some right cowboys and the estate, who have a sawmill, and have recently invested in a firwood processor. They're now selling seasoned Softwood at £45/m3, Seasoned Hardwood at £65/m3, delivered.

 

For me, I cut and split my arb arisings by hand, charge £80 for a m3 and last year sold out, I think that this year I may be sitting on a pile of logs in the spring :-(

[farmer_ben]

I'm on an Island, there's only a handfull of firewood suppliers, some right cowboys and the estate, who have a sawmill, and have recently invested in a firwood processor. They're now selling seasoned Softwood at £45/m3, Seasoned Hardwood at £65/m3, delivered.

 

For me, I cut and split my arb arisings by hand, charge £80 for a m3 and last year sold out, I think that this year I may be sitting on a pile of logs in the spring :-(

 

Wait until they sell out and cash in?

[Tim Stobart Tree Surgery]

Wait until they sell out and cash in?

 

They own 95% of the island, they won't sell out, just start selling unseasoned wood. I've heard that they're trying to stop tennant farmers from proccessing fallen trees. My customers are becoming those with a chip on their shoulder about the estate and would rather buy from anyone but them.

[farmer_ben]

They own 95% of the island, they won't sell out, just start selling unseasoned wood. I've heard that they're trying to stop tennant farmers from proccessing fallen trees. My customers are becoming those with a chip on their shoulder about the estate and would rather buy from anyone but them.

 

not a bad situation for you then!