Craigslist....This is Just absurd!

[okotoks guy]

Oh,and there is no such thing as price gouging when it comes to firewood. The only way that could
happen, is if the other fuels for heating were not available. Nobody is forced to purchase firewood.
If the price is too high,don't buy it. Just go over to the wall and turn up the thermostat. I get so
sick and tired of hearing how much firewood costs by people too lazy to process it themselves.
I get at least 1 stupid call every week from some Jackpot wanting me to deliver a cord of premium,
seasoned firewood for the same cost as what others are selling fresh Poplar for.

 

[bjkjoseph]

around here the tree guys are lucky to find some one to take it off there hands..if not they have to pay to dump it.

 

[CALJREICH]

Oh,and there is no such thing as price gouging when it comes to firewood. The only way that could
happen, is if the other fuels for heating were not available. Nobody is forced to purchase firewood.
If the price is too high,don't buy it. Just go over to the wall and turn up the thermostat. I get so
sick and tired of hearing how much firewood costs by people too lazy to process it themselves.
I get at least 1 stupid call every week from some Jackpot wanting me to deliver a cord of premium,
seasoned firewood for the same cost as what others are selling fresh Poplar for.

Don't you think everyone that wants firewood should be entitled to same quality wood you burn. Just because you cut it , hauled it , split it , stacked it and let it season. Why should you reap all the benefits? Thats goofy free market idealogy.

You shouldn't even want a profit for your labor. You should work for the good of all lazy socialists in this country. Lets give everybody everything. Lets bash anyone that wants to prosper on their own labor. Shame on you for expecting someone to pay you for your work. Just went to Walmart the other day. Filled up my cart and huh, strange they wanted me to pay for the items before I left. Bet that happens to you whenever you go to a store for something you need or want.

If we could just get rid of the free market ideas and embrace socialism more. Everyone could work for the greater good. The government could take all our labors and ration out to all. I get goose gumps all over thinking of how good it would be. We need to keep bashing the rich. Those pigs. Those big drug companies , they expect to make a profit, they must be evil. The insurance companies are evil too. And so it only stands to reason a man selling wood for a profit must be evil.

The way Americans think anymore is whacked. No one wants to work for free and no one is going to. People that don't want to work want everything handed to them. From healthcare to food stamps and a roof over their heads and cash. Don't wonder why people don't appreciate your labor or costs you have in something.
Most are just dumber then the wood you are selling. And lay around as much.

 

[okotoks guy]

Oh,and there is no such thing as price gouging when it comes to firewood. The only way that could
happen, is if the other fuels for heating were not available. Nobody is forced to purchase firewood.
If the price is too high,don't buy it. Just go over to the wall and turn up the thermostat. I get so
sick and tired of hearing how much firewood costs by people too lazy to process it themselves.
I get at least 1 stupid call every week from some Jackpot wanting me to deliver a cord of premium,
seasoned firewood for the same cost as what others are selling fresh Poplar for.

Don't you think everyone that wants firewood should be entitled to same quality wood you burn. Just because you cut it , hauled it , split it , stacked it and let it season. Why should you reap all the benefits? Thats goofy free market idealogy.

You shouldn't even want a profit for your labor. You should work for the good of all lazy socialists in this country. Lets give everybody everything. Lets bash anyone that wants to prosper on their own labor. Shame on you for expecting someone to pay you for your work. Just went to Walmart the other day. Filled up my cart and huh, strange they wanted me to pay for the items before I left. Bet that happens to you whenever you go to a store for something you need or want.

If we could just get rid of the free market ideas and embrace socialism more. Everyone could work for the greater good. The government could take all our labors and ration out to all. I get goose gumps all over thinking of how good it would be. We need to keep bashing the rich. Those pigs. Those big drug companies , they expect to make a profit, they must be evil. The insurance companies are evil too. And so it only stands to reason a man selling wood for a profit must be evil.

The way Americans think anymore is whacked. No one wants to work for free and no one is going to. People that don't want to work want everything handed to them. From healthcare to food stamps and a roof over their heads and cash. Don't wonder why people don't appreciate your labor or costs you have in something.
Most are just dumber then the wood you are selling. And lay around as much.

Cal, you my friend are absolutely right. You know what I'm going to do tomorrow? I'm going to get some
Douglas Fir seeds for a few dollars and start a few hundred trees in some pots in the basement. Then, in the
spring I am going to transplant those trees outside at the acreage. In about 6-8 years I will cut those Christmas
Trees and sell them for a Dollar each. After all,I only spent a couple bucks on seeds and cut the trees. Now that
I think about it,a dollar might be considered price gouging!

Socialism is completely under rated and misunderstood. There are so many positive examples in the world proving
that it is the way to go I used to look at the guy in the nice house,driving the nice car and think to myself: " There
goes a guy who's done it right; probably has had some good ideas in his life and definitely has a solid work ethic." NOW,
I'm going to look at that same guy and think " Look at that Imperialistic Pig. He represents everything wrong in the World;
why couldn't he just be happy riding a beat up 10 speed and live in a tar paper shack burning fresh cut Poplar for warmth!"

 

[woodchip]

You know what I'm going to do tomorrow? I'm going to get some
Douglas Fir seeds for a few dollars and start a few hundred trees in some pots in the basement. Then, in the
spring I am going to transplant those trees outside at the acreage. In about 6-8 years I will cut those Christmas
Trees and sell them for a Dollar each. After all,I only spent a couple bucks on seeds and cut the trees. Now that
I think about it,a dollar might be considered price gouging!

Quicker and easier than Douglas Fir.............

I grow lettuces every summer, seeds are about a dollar for a thousand, I plant fast and furious, then sell lettuces for about a dollar each from a barrow at the end of my drive.

All my regular customers think they are cheap

 

[CountryBoy19]

I agree with all of you, I am extremely lucky to have the ability to scrounge and the fortune to find it. But I just think this is highway robbery..I mean it's wood not a commodity.

I know, I know, late in the season, seller's market, blah blah blah. Still out of line to charge so exorbitantly. I'm not saying he/she's a crook or misleading, just waaayyy too expensive!

It's the free market. Let someone charge whatever they want, and let the customer pay whatever they want. If the seller is charging more than the customer will pay then they won't sell any goods.

Heck, if I sold wood I wouldn't sell it for less than $250/cord. I work hard for my wood. I probably wouldn't sell any at that price around here though because the free-market won't allow it, there are many people charging much less (although I'm not even sure they're selling a full cord).

 

[firefighterjake]

For me wood is never free . . . it may be cheaper to scrounge wood . . . but you still pay for the gas to haul the wood home.

It may be cheaper than buying if you have your own property . . . but you still pay taxes and pay for the gas/oil and equipment to take down the tree, buck up the tree, haul the wood out of the woods, split the wood and then haul it home.

More important than money to me though is time . . . which is why I will not sell wood . . . I've put a lot of time into harvesting this heat/wood and quite honestly since I depend on this wood for heat I would have a hard time parting with any of my wood at almost any price.

 

[woodchip]

My free wood is only free is I ignore the time spent foraging, sawing, and chopping.

And someone else buys me new sawblades.........

 

[Lumber-Jack]

Actually I had a look at other firewood ads in that craigslist area and found quite a few people selling firewood for very close to $300 or more a cord.
Here's one for $290 a cord (broken link removed to http://boston.craigslist.org/sob/grd/2105305482.html)
Here's one for $150 a half cord (broken link removed to http://boston.craigslist.org/sob/grd/2110387653.html)
Here's one for $350 a cord (broken link removed to http://boston.craigslist.org/sob/for/2111214798.html)

Not sure why you singled out that one ad out as gouging Woodporn?
Perhaps these guys selling at a premium price are the only ones selling truly seasoned wood and they know it, that's why they are asking a little more.

 

[WoodPorn]

No one is being singled out, I just pulled an example of what people are looking at paying / sellers are getting. Call it what you want, I still think the price is outrageous!

 

[hareball]

I burn about 2 cords a month so could not go higher than $200/cord. Anything over that and I'm spending about the same running the oil furnace.

 

[Dune]

What I can't beleive is what electricians charge these days. You would think they were licensed and insured or something. Or that they had more than a 5 gallon bucket of tools invested. How dare they charge enough to cover expenses? Who are they to think they deserve a profit? Why do they drive trucks to jobs? Don't they know a yugo uses less gas than an f-350? Plus whats with those clothes they wear? They don't look like the clothes the homeless guys are wearing. I'm even willing to bet electricians eat food! If they weren't greedy food eaters they could do my wiring for free, like I deserve. I wonder if Obama knows about this.

 

[Thistle]

:lol: Right on Dune.

 

[daveswoodhauler]

What I can't beleive is what electricians charge these days. You would think they were licensed and insured or something. Or that they had more than a 5 gallon bucket of tools invested. How dare they charge enough to cover expenses? Who are they to think they deserve a profit? Why do they drive trucks to jobs? Don't they know a yugo uses less gas than an f-350? Plus whats with those clothes they wear? They don't look like the clothes the homeless guys are wearing. I'm even willing to bet electricians eat food! If they weren't greedy food eaters they could do my wiring for free, like I deserve. I wonder if Obama knows about this.

Thanks for the chuckle Dune.

 

[Lumber-Jack]

No one is being singled out, I just pulled an example of what people are looking at paying / sellers are getting. Call it what you want, I still think the price is outrageous!

Outrageous! Hmmm?
You know, half of me agrees with you, I wouldn't pay more than $75 a cord, in fact I'd have a hard look at it before I paid that, but that is because I enjoy getting my own wood so much. I only get to do it a few times a year, and it gets me and my boys out in the woods together doing something constructive, and of course we really enjoy the wood heat in the house.
On the other hand, the other half of me knows the time and work involved, and if I was to trying to replace my current income (contractor) with a firewood business and make the same income I would have to charge between $500 and $900 a cord I recon. That's based on the time and labor involved in the method I currently get my firewood compared directly to the time and labor involved in running my business.
So you see, it's kind of hard for me to throw stones at people trying to feed their families on $300 a cord.
Frankly the dollars and cents end of heating with wood is the reason there is such a small portion of people doing it. As Hareball brought out, once the price of wood gets so high it's makes more economic sense to heat with oil, or gas , or electricity. That is if you have to buy wood that is.
Now that doesn't take in those well to do people who may have a wood stove or fireplace in their luxury homes who just want to sit in front of a fire once in a while for ambiance. People like that don't really mind paying a little more for premium wood. They aren't heating with wood, so the cost ratio doesn't enter into it, they just want to watch the fire.

 

[Danno77]

I'm sure electricians are all worth what they charge. I wouldn't know, because I haven't had an electrical job that I couldn't do on my own yet. I'm not licensed either, but I do have home-owners insurance.

When the time comes to do something that I need an electrician for, I'll be glad they are there. Besides, the electricians I see around here DO dress like they are homeless.

 

[billb3]

if you think the price of firewood is outrageous you probably don't want to read the real estate for sale section ....

 

[Jags]

Shame on you LEE. Processing wood, then properly seasoning it - with the guts to call it "properly seasoned firewood". Selling your wares at the peak of demand AND trying to make a profit. Scrooge. :lol:


If I was selling wood that I processed - no one could afford it.

 

[Dune]

I'm sure electricians are all worth what they charge. I wouldn't know, because I haven't had an electrical job that I couldn't do on my own yet. I'm not licensed either, but I do have home-owners insurance.

When the time comes to do something that I need an electrician for, I'll be glad they are there. Besides, the electricians I see around here DO dress like they are homeless.

I am sure that firewood is worth what they charge. I know how long it takes me to put together a cord of oak, and I am NOT selling any firewood, even pine for $300. I might consider selling it for 6-800 but it would probably be more profitable to work at a retail store instead. Bought a commercial chainsaw lately?

This whole thread should go to the ash-can, it is that rediculous.

 

[Battenkiller]

The actual problem is that now is probably the best time to get some new fuel in, any hardwood felled now will have the sap down.

I used to believe that many years ago, but my botany professor convinced me it just ain't so.

Seasonal moisture content is trees in general varies by 2% MC or less throughout the year. There is more sap movement during the warm season, but not more total sap. Just where would the sap go to anyway? The tree is somewhat of a closed system, and the only way for sap to go downward and out of the tree would be for it to pass through the tiny root hairs at the very ends of the roots. That would take a very, very long time.

 

[krex1010]

I don't think $325 for a full cord of seasoned firewood in December is out o line. As long as he is giving you what he is advertising he can charge whatever he wants. Would I buy it? Heck no, but if the guy can get people to pay that then who are we to argue with him, if it's more than you want to pay then don't buy it. I doubt the guy is getting rich selling wood. I have seen lots of ridiculous ads on craigslist for firewood, I get a kick out of the ones where people are trying to sell a downed tree, or even a live tree as firewood, but this is not one of them. Processing firewood is alot of work, personally I wouldn't sell a cord of my wood for $325, I think my time, sweat, and sore muscles are worth more than that. And I don't expect an honest firewood guy to give up his wood for one penny less than he thinks it is worth. Honestly to all he people here that beech and moan about the price of firewood, if it was you selling the wood, how much would you want to be paid for a cord of firewood? My guess is your tune would change then.

 

[WoodPorn]

What I can't beleive is what electricians charge these days. You would think they were licensed and insured or something. Or that they had more than a 5 gallon bucket of tools invested. How dare they charge enough to cover expenses? Who are they to think they deserve a profit? Why do they drive trucks to jobs? Don't they know a yugo uses less gas than an f-350? Plus whats with those clothes they wear? They don't look like the clothes the homeless guys are wearing. I'm even willing to bet electricians eat food! If they weren't greedy food eaters they could do my wiring for free, like I deserve. I wonder if Obama knows about this.

I can't say I know where you're going with this.

 

[Jags]

What I can't beleive is what electricians charge these days. You would think they were licensed and insured or something. Or that they had more than a 5 gallon bucket of tools invested. How dare they charge enough to cover expenses? Who are they to think they deserve a profit? Why do they drive trucks to jobs? Don't they know a yugo uses less gas than an f-350? Plus whats with those clothes they wear? They don't look like the clothes the homeless guys are wearing. I'm even willing to bet electricians eat food! If they weren't greedy food eaters they could do my wiring for free, like I deserve. I wonder if Obama knows about this.

I can't say I know where you're going with this.

Humor, I sense.

 

[Dune]

What I can't beleive is what electricians charge these days. You would think they were licensed and insured or something. Or that they had more than a 5 gallon bucket of tools invested. How dare they charge enough to cover expenses? Who are they to think they deserve a profit? Why do they drive trucks to jobs? Don't they know a yugo uses less gas than an f-350? Plus whats with those clothes they wear? They don't look like the clothes the homeless guys are wearing. I'm even willing to bet electricians eat food! If they weren't greedy food eaters they could do my wiring for free, like I deserve. I wonder if Obama knows about this.

I can't say I know where you're going with this.

Thats obvious. If you want another clue look at post# 43

 

[bboulier]

There is no "right" price for wood. The price is determined by whatever buyers are willing to pay and sellers are willing to accept. Where wood is scarce, wage rates are high, and lots of folks want to burn wood, the price of a cord will be high. Where wood is abundant (easy for the taking), the wage rate of potential wood providers is low, and temperatures are warm, so that there are few folks with fireplaces, the price will be low. That doesn't mean that there will be no variation in prices in a given location. Sometimes buyers are ill-informed and pay a higher price than would have been necessary, and sometimes sellers are clueless and get less than they might have. My advice is to take advantage of these opportunities when you find them. With respect to felling/splitting/collecting your own wood, you have to take into account the effort, but also the enjoyment from these activities. If your hourly wage rate were very high, it would be cheaper for you to buy wood, but the fun of collecting your own wood more than compensates for the extra cost.