So, yesterday, I'm doing my usual trawl on Craigslist looking for firewood to scounge/pick up cheap, and I find someone selling out the last of his wood, and he has 5 cords of C/S/D for $600. I figured, what the heck, let's check it out. I swap a few emails, and he lets me know he will deliver a fully packed, 28 yard dump, about 90% oak.
I decided to pull the trigger and give it a shot. He showed up, I checked it out - looks quite good. The truck measured up to be correct size (28 yards as advertised.) That's 756 cubic feet (5.9 cords) loose. I had him drop it in the driveway, I paid him his cash, and then off he went. Of course, my wife is looking at me like I'm nuts, but for $120 a cord, all the work already done but stacking it, I'll get ahead. Even if it's a full cord short (but doesn't look it) it will still be $150 a cord.
Then, this morning, I get a phone call. Same guy, said he managed to fill his truck up one more time with what he had left, and wanted to know if I wanted it. I told him I had plenty, and would have to figure out where to put it. He said $500. I said bring it out.
Same story again - pulls up, same truck packed to the gills, wood looks good, he drops it, I pay him his cash, and off he goes. I now have ~12 cords loose sitting in the driveway, for a price of $1,100. I already have ~6 cords out back for this year and next. I'm now set for the next 5 years. And, my wife doesn't think I'm nuts anymore - apparently I'm well past that. So, if the full 10 cords, that's $110 a cord. Even if it only comes out to 8-9 cords, that's still only $137-$122 a cord. Schweet!
And, of course, I know, I know, without pictures, it didn't happen. For reference, the truck in the driveway is an F250 Super Duty, the top of the rear of the bed is 4'10" high (I measured) and a little over 6' wide and the garage is 46' long.
I decided to pull the trigger and give it a shot. He showed up, I checked it out - looks quite good. The truck measured up to be correct size (28 yards as advertised.) That's 756 cubic feet (5.9 cords) loose. I had him drop it in the driveway, I paid him his cash, and then off he went. Of course, my wife is looking at me like I'm nuts, but for $120 a cord, all the work already done but stacking it, I'll get ahead. Even if it's a full cord short (but doesn't look it) it will still be $150 a cord.
Then, this morning, I get a phone call. Same guy, said he managed to fill his truck up one more time with what he had left, and wanted to know if I wanted it. I told him I had plenty, and would have to figure out where to put it. He said $500. I said bring it out.
Same story again - pulls up, same truck packed to the gills, wood looks good, he drops it, I pay him his cash, and off he goes. I now have ~12 cords loose sitting in the driveway, for a price of $1,100. I already have ~6 cords out back for this year and next. I'm now set for the next 5 years. And, my wife doesn't think I'm nuts anymore - apparently I'm well past that. So, if the full 10 cords, that's $110 a cord. Even if it only comes out to 8-9 cords, that's still only $137-$122 a cord. Schweet!
And, of course, I know, I know, without pictures, it didn't happen. For reference, the truck in the driveway is an F250 Super Duty, the top of the rear of the bed is 4'10" high (I measured) and a little over 6' wide and the garage is 46' long.