He wants me to pay him to work !

[Jay C. White Cloud]

A'men Brother,  I am not to far off, (I hope,) from work'n just for the folks that appreciate my craft.  I have really enjoyed being able to say no to some folks when they have come back to hire me.  They don't deserve the work we do.  If I eat, where, use or live in a man or woman's labor, I always try to appreciate it deeply.  I'm with you, the extra money is nice, but the appreciation and respect is priceless.

Regards,

jay

[rooster 58]

     Yo bedway, that's funny! By the way, this guy that wants somethin for nuthin is from Erie :D Seems like us Forestcountians better take lessons from y'all :laugh:

[rooster 58]

Well, I returned from looking at the trees a bit ago. They are nearly all dead standing, several widowmakers in the bunch. Most are only firewood size and nothing valuable as sawtimber.  I think I'll just tell him thanks but no thanks. Too many need cabled, including 3 or 4 hanging out over his cabin. I get all the firewood I want just for what it costs me to haul. Maybe bedway will come over and help his Erie neighbor. I'll come watch and maybe have a cold one withya ;)

[Cedarman]

A person that enters a negotiation without a clue as to the value of what is being negotiated is at a huge disadvantage. (Reason why timber owners should hire a consultant on their behalf)  The people with the dead trees over the cabin do not know because it is totally out of their area of expertise. You on the other hand know very well what the value is, either positive or negative.
As has been said, educating people is good, but would you want a used car salesman educating you while the negotiating is going on?  This causes the frustration in the person with the dead trees.  For that person to be satisfied that they are being treated fairly, there must be an honest 3'd party doing the educating. 
This is the problem in these types of situations.
One way that I have used,  is to explain that my offer is on the table. You are free to accept or reject.  If you are uncomfortable with my offer, take the time to research so that you feel that in the end you are make a good decision.  Put the monkey on their back.

[SwampDonkey]

Jeff, I thought your burl was on a maple? You probably never walked that lot not far from the cabin that you said had some old hardwood trees on it. I think it was near some land for sale. Might be an old smasher in there.

Here's one on a yellow birch. The guy has it on a  produce pallet. I think he turns burls, quite a few fellas do around here.



It's a sure bet it was off a crown land harvest.

You can see that his lumber just sits around in the weather to degrade. I see him mostly cutting white cedar. Plus he probably burns the slabs, it's all stacked up there.

Reminds me, I knew of one other about this size. It was on crown land behind a camp lease. Used to hunt there and walk a grown in road, and off to the right was a big old burly yellow birch. I knew the guys that owned the camp. One fellow had a friend that was in pursuit of burls and figured woods. It just so happens the block by the camp was up for some kind of single tree selection. One of the old guys, his nephew was one of the company  foresters (actually forest engineer), and I believe he had the harvester guys bring it out for his uncle. He wanted it for this friend, whom I also had met. By the way, that ridge (Robinson Ridge) was full of birdseye maple. The maple around the camp had eye on anything that was at least 14 inches and up. You could go from tree to tree. There are places like that around, I've seen probably 4 other sites. Now not all the trees would make logs, some were like culverts and not all was figured enough for the grade. Sometimes it's just on one or two faces of the trunk and also some eye trees when cut don't have eye going in deep enough toward the centre.

[rooster 58]

    Well said Cedarman, and rest assured I will attempt to explain to him what is all involved in removing his trees. However, after dealing with these situations over time, this gentleman I don't think will understand.
     Another problem is that there are people who will do this type of work for well under what is a fair price to do the work. Guys do it in their spare time and also anyone with a chainsaw and a truck is in business. These are the guys that tarnish the business by misleading customers and liable themselves and their clients by not having the right gear, tools, etc. And they operate without insurance, putting everyone at great risk

[Peter Drouin]

Some times I think I spend to much time explaining how the job will work :D
I do go and look at all the jobs first on my own time, that way when I get there with the mill I can make money :D
I give them the price and what I will do and will not do.
And they will some time try to get me down on the price, well the price is the price. thats it :D
But I allways stay positive with the customer, they want me or not its there decision, most of the time they do.
the customers that dont want me because im more money :D :D
But then they call me back , because the outher guy is not there yet or the wood is so bad they cant use it :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
I have customers that give me bottles of wine, all kinds of things,
I had one guy come to my house and gave me a cake, his wife was so happy of the job I did, I did not know what to say but thanks
We all do the best  we can do
when it comes to the price stand your ground
I look at this way ,they want the best work well that cost :D ;D

[Jeff]

Jeff, I thought your burl was on a maple?

(Its not my burl) ;)
So did we, turned out it was an old old yellow birch that looked like a maple.

[SwampDonkey]

Ah yes, not yours. But your photo. ;D  Well looking at that old burl I posted there's no yellow bark on it neither. Most huge burls I've ever seen was on yellow birch.

[Brad_bb]

That's the right idea fellas, stay positive, give them some information, warn then to be careful of shady operators who could damage the cabin and have no insurance...  Even if they don't hire you, try to get them to respect you and understand that you are honest and legit.

[Peter Drouin]

Ya but some people just want cheap, they understand the job but just play dumb :D  there looking for cheap,