Firewood prices

[Yosarian]

Maybe it's a function of automation and the growing affordability of more efficient processing equipment, or maybe it's a sign of just how little respect there is for the value of labor, but 40 years ago we sold honest cords of well-seasoned red & white oak for $225 to $250, split, stacked, & delivered, to the Annapolis area from Maryland's eastern shore, hauling 4 cords & dragging another 2 in a trailer to try and better amortize the trip.

A cursory examination of the local market today shows people selling cords of oak dumped in the driveway as cheap as $160, and sometimes less. In 1980 gasoline, diesel, heating oil, and electricity were all less than half what they cost today - so what's up? I've been out of that game since way back then, but it's always made me wonder.

[Tacotodd]

1st off, welcome aboard!

Now that’s out of the way, my friend (and we grew up together since I was 4 and him 3) was very eager to take my word and believe what I said, and he VERY gladly gave me $160 for a 1/2 cord of red oak that I split by hand with nothing but a engineer hammer and wedge, for that was all I had at the time! I delivered in my utility trailer and my Tacoma. Green it was and he was happy to do it. I explained to him about legal definition of cord, and he couldn’t get any wood from ANYWHERE at the time. We were both happy as clams, and I still see him on at LEAST a weekly basis.

If it weren’t for him knowing me and what I went through to make sure that happened, then I REALLY don’t think that he SHOULD have paid me anywhere near that amount. I kinda feel guilty about it to this day. He’s long since forgot about it, but I don’t think that I ever will. He and I were both raised to have this little thing called a conscience. Lots of folks these days don’t have one, but we like to sleep well at night. 

I told him it was green and he asked me what that meant. I explained to him EVERYTHING that I know about firewood and wood in general. It took ME all of about 15min, cause that ain’t much. But I know seasoned and green. But, we are both hardheaded and like to do stuff our way until shown what and why something is better.

But firewood prices are sorta better these days, but finding a personal touch is VERY important. And so is honesty and friendship.

[mike_belben]

 - so what's up? I've been out of that game since way back then

Debt-fueled desperation and maybe the occasional addiction.

[SwampDonkey]

40 years ago or 4? 'Cause 40 years ago, you'd do well to get $80 a cord up here, lots was sold for $50/cord. Whatever pulp prices in the area was at the time. In the 60's dad cut pulp, peeled it, loaded on truck, and hand loaded on rail car for $20 a cord. Back then it was 4' length pulp, and there was mountains of it moving by log truck, rail, pickup truck, wagon etc. Back then you could go into the mill yard with a pick up truck full, not now. And that continued on until the early nineties. But by the 70's you didn't have to peel. The Irvings were busy counting all that pulp money from cheap slave labour.

[Upstatewoodchuc]

I gotta ask, where is here? I'm in upstate NY and firewood prices were unfortunately 180-225 a cord about 10 years ago, and have just now gotten to a slightly more tolerable 200-245 a cord. That being said, if you travel to a couple select rich suburb areas outside of Albany NY $280-400 a cord is not unheard of....

[Old Greenhorn]

If you were selling for $225/cord 40 years ago you must have already retired well. Back then it was 125-150 cord here so you had some wealthy clients.
 These days it is running around 250/cord, but some get as high as 350 for tumbled and seasoned. If I could get it for 160 I think I might buy it and save myself as lot of time.  The influx of city folks living 'full time' here this past winter has driven prices up because they are burning more wood then ever before. All the cutters I know have been processing everything they get and it goes right into the dump truck and out for delivery, no piles found anywhere.
 @Upstatewoodchuc , where are you located? I am in Ulster County.

[Spike60]

Can't offer an explanation, just an observation. Pretty much see the same numbers as Opstate does, as we are not that far away. $250 seems to be the going price around here right now. But it's as though $250 is some kind of ceiling that never gets broken. Over the years, firewood prices have been unusualy stable. There are often a few sellers who are willing to sell cheap to "get the sale" and that creates a downward pressure on prices. Saw that the last few years with all of the dead ash around here. Lotta guys that don't normally sell wood jumped in the game. And even though the cheap sellers are all out of the game this late in the heating season, the price stays at $250.

[mike_belben]

our ceiling is $50 a rick.. which is about $150 a cord but if someone is buying 3 ricks theyll want a "volume discount."  good way to die broken. 

[brianJ]

Can't offer an explanation, just an observation. Pretty much see the same numbers as Opstate does, as we are not that far away. $250 seems to be the going price around here right now. But it's as though $250 is some kind of ceiling that never gets broken. Over the years, firewood prices have been unusualy stable. There are often a few sellers who are willing to sell cheap to "get the sale" and that creates a downward pressure on prices. Saw that the last few years with all of the dead ash around here. Lotta guys that don't normally sell wood jumped in the game. And even though the cheap sellers are all out of the game this late in the heating season, the price stays at $250.

200 bucks is  about the limit here near Syracuse

[Upstatewoodchuc]

If you were selling for $225/cord 40 years ago you must have already retired well. Back then it was 125-150 cord here so you had some wealthy clients.
 These days it is running around 250/cord, but some get as high as 350 for tumbled and seasoned. If I could get it for 160 I think I might buy it and save myself as lot of time. The influx of city folks living 'full time' here this past winter has driven prices up because they are burning more wood then ever before. All the cutters I know have been processing everything they get and it goes right into the dump truck and out for delivery, no piles found anywhere.
 @Upstatewoodchuc , where are you located? I am in Ulster County.




I'm in greene county, pretty much across the river! Not the true upstate, only say upstate NY because if you don't specify people assume you're from NYC.... yuck .

[SwampDonkey]

Firewood now is $280-450 cord, more near the big centres. I make my own, for the most part and always figure on $300 a cord in my pocket. I do up 8 cord, so 32 of them $100 bills. One Tacoma load is one of them $100 bills.

[Old Greenhorn]

I'm in greene county, pretty much across the river! Not the true upstate, only say upstate NY because if you don't specify people assume you're from NYC.... yuck .

Well I need a new map then because my map shows Greene and Ulster on the same side of the river.  I am at the east end of the Reservoir (Ashokan) and you r likely due north of me, depending on the town, likely you are pretty close to Barge.
Anything north in the city or L.I. is upstate. It's a state of mind, not a place.  

[logman81]

I own a landscape and tree service in Albany County area and ive never gotten as much for firewood as I have now at $225 a cord for green wood delivered. When we get some seasoned in stock it will be $300 a cord. We have no trouble at all selling it at those prices its actually hard to find enough wood to keep the stock up for inventory. Maybe its our location im not sure but its definitely worth doing. 

[Al_Smith]

40 years ago I was getting $40 a pick up load,1/2 cord .

[cutterboy]

I sell firewood for $50 a quarter cord. I don't deliver, you come and pick it up. $50 has been the price for the last five years and $45 for nine years before that. I get no complaints and always sell out. I'm in a rural part of Massachusetts so prices are on the low side. They say near Boston a cord of wood goes for $350.


 

[Al_Smith]

Kind of funny how this firewood has come and gone over a time period .In the mid 70's to early 80's it seems there was alleged to be an energy shortage .Which there really wasn't .They sold a zillion wood stoves and in the farming country all the fence line tree growths disappeared .Then all the sudden from out of nowhere  it all changed .Wages caught up with natural and propane gas prices and the wood stoves got sold at garage sales .Then 20 years later it started back up again .

[Al_Smith]

Having said the previous you'll never get rich selling the stuff on a small scale especially in hardwood country .At best it could be an alternative to get extra money .Good exercise though if nothing else .The only reason I even bother for my own use these days is because I have an abundance of the stuff .Plus it provides exercise for myself plus a method to test out my chainsaws which are in  itself is just a hobby .

[SwampDonkey]

I'm in hardwood country to, but I burn mostly everything else. Thinning the woods, I burn wood, so in the stove. I've got lots to thin.

[Al_Smith]

Well you can burn swamp willow if that's all you have .Just takes more of it is all .

[SwampDonkey]

I did happen to have some chunks of alder I forgot I threw in the pile last year. If I come across a nice size willow, I wouldn't turn it down. It actually don't take much, but for sure the fire doesn't burn as long. I just don't need a fire all day and night. I don't run my fires smothered either. I gotta burn wood 9 months, I've never run out.