Replies

1. 
   notDusty | Mar 21, 2005 06:30am | #1

                ECBNTMKR ,

                          I guess the first things I would ask you to answer this question is , A : do you have a place to properly store it ? B: would you be buying this just to have for future projects , or do you need some of it now ? Can you afford the cost whatever it may be ? Do you have the equipment to mill and surface this ,material ? If you are o.k. with all of the above then , seeing as though some may have limited value and uses ,  Cotton Wood and Red Cedar have limited value so depending on what percentage consists of these species I might start an offer at a $1000.00 if that is in your budget . Obviously he has had no use and does not intend to have use for it , so it may have limited value to him as well . You can always offer him more , get a reaction from him in person from your offer and then go from there .

                                good   luck            dusty

        One more caution would be after this wood sitting for as many years as it has, there is a good chance that there may be some bugs of sorts infested in some of the species , so there may be more downfall or defects then what first meets the eye. There is more risk involved in a purchase of this nature then at the Hardwood store.

   
   

   ---

   Edited 3/21/2005 11:24 am ET by dusty

2. 
   lumberjacksson | Mar 21, 2005 07:03am | #2

   I wouldn't make an offer unless I knew what I was getting. What quality,how many board feet etc. If he doesn't know then it is definately in your interest to find out. It takes about 1 minute to measure 25 board feet... in my neck of the woods that would be 100 bucks or more... time well spent. Make a reasonable educated offer.

3. 
   jackplane | Mar 21, 2005 03:53pm | #3

   If you're in business your local supplier can tell you bd ft price for each specie. Even if you're a hobbyist you can find out your local price.

   Then because this is a "fire sale" so to speak, I'd deduct about 20% from the top because you're buying volume.Prices vary region to region, but $1.50-$2 to start with might be good. Whatever the final arrangement, I'd be inclined to go for it.

1. 
   WillGeorge | Mar 21, 2005 08:23pm | #4

   I'd pull up with a trailer and offer $1.00 a foot...If you are REALLY pleased with the wood you can always go back and hand the guy a chech for more money if you are happy with what you got...Gee I ment to ALL!

   Edited 3/21/2005 1:25 pm ET by Will George

1. 
   notDusty | Mar 22, 2005 07:09am | #5

       Will ,

                  Amen to that , and I would imagine coming back to pay more would happen as often as a happy customer sends another check after paying  in full just because they were so darn pleased .

                       not in our lifetime

                                   dusty 

1. 
   Ecbntmkr | Mar 22, 2005 03:42pm | #6

   Thanks everyone for your input. To answer some of the questions, I do have a place to store it, I would be buying for future projects, some I have already discounted as waste/unneeded because of what I do and because of what it is (the cottonwood and cedar). However, I am unsure as to what I'm going to do at this point but will keep everyone posted. If I pass on it, you will see the contact number posted so that someone else may have a shot at it.
   Thanks,
   Eric

1. 
   steelheader | Mar 22, 2005 04:28pm | #7

   I cant believe it would still be there unless he wants way to much for it, in my neck of the woods something like that advertised in the newspaper would last about a 1/2 hour.

2. 
   Ribeye | Mar 23, 2005 06:15am | #8

   "...in my neck of the woods something like that advertised in the newspaper would last about a 1/2 hour."

    WoW!

   You must live among a whole herd of mean-muscled wood-whackers for it to disappear that fast :-)

   In all seriousness, OTOH, how "wormy " is the walnut?-- Steve

   Enjoy life & do well by it;

   it might well be the only chance you get.

   http://www.ApacheTrail.com/ww/

2. 
   WillGeorge | Mar 24, 2005 08:59am | #11

   I HAVE done that... For work rendered.. Not related for wood..

   I was out of town... In Japan in fact!

   Wife had to have this guy work in the house.. Wife with three babies... She was NOT happy having a strange man in "HER" house...  He was great....

   He got a check for $500.00 extra for being nice and using a hand saw when the little ones were sleeping....

   I forgot to say the job took about a month.. Good work too!

   Edited 3/24/2005 2:04 am ET by Will George

1. 
   macalex | Mar 24, 2005 02:39pm | #12

   I spend enough time in Asia (where there's never a fixed price) to know that you never make the first offer (someone above said it well). If you're buying, you need to know as accurately as possible what it is you're buying. It's too easy to over estimate, and not discount the rubbish. You have to measure up. Then you ask what the buyer wants. If he won't name a price, offer low - real low. Always try to be in a position where you don't need it, and can just as happily walk away. If his price is too high, walk away!

   MalcolmNew Zealand | New Thinking

2. 
   Ecbntmkr | Mar 24, 2005 02:50pm | #13

   Thanks again to all that have replied. I have come to an agreement on price with the gentleman. I got him to state the number he had figured he could get for it. I then offered him less than what he wanted with the stipulation that I would pay up to his number if the wood met my expectations. Now I have to find a trailer and make some room.
   Thanks,
   Eric

2. 
   cherryjohn | Mar 24, 2005 05:35pm | #14

   Id pull up with a trailer and (10) $100 bills.  take out 7 and let him see the green.

   Who knows?  If he balks, shake my head and say " OK OK",and pull out another $100.and go up to the whole 10 if I had to.  The key here is the guy wants to unload wood that he has had for 20 years.  make it easy for him with .......cashWicked Decent Woodworks

   (oldest woodworking shop in NH)

   Rochester NH

   " If the women dont find you handsome, they should at least find you handy........yessa!"

1. 
   notDusty | Mar 24, 2005 05:47pm | #15

       John ,

              Kind of like when Don King Showed Mohammad Ali the suitcase with $ 50.000 cash , when he was actually owed much   more . There is something about seeing a pile of cash that tends to motivate folks. Kind of like what I call the feeding frenzy folks tend to be in at auctions , where they may pay more for an item then it is worth .

                     dusty

        

1. 
   cherryjohn | Mar 24, 2005 08:15pm | #16

   Exactly.  When i bought my Shopsmith the guy wanted $850 for it....like brand new.  I was willing to pay $500.  I went with 5 $100 bills.  We talked he came down to $700..........got firm...............then I pulled out the Grants.........got it for $500Wicked Decent Woodworks

   (oldest woodworking shop in NH)

   Rochester NH

   " If the women dont find you handsome, they should at least find you handy........yessa!"

4. 
   Tao | Mar 23, 2005 06:45am | #9

   Just a side thought:  I used to buy and sell a lot of stuff, and I used to fall for that "make an offer" stuff.  I universally got one of two reactions:  If I was too low, the  seller would get angry and wouldn't counter.  If I made a higher offer , people seemed to think, "If he'll pay that much, the next guy'll pay even more." It seemed like most of the peiople were just out for a "street appraisal"

   My standard approach now is, "It's your property.  Only you know what it's worth to you.  It's up to you to set a price.  What were you hoping to get out of it?"  Sometimes they are high, sometimes much lower than I anticipated, but at least they have made a commitment to sell, and I can either accept, decline, or counter, and it's possible to make some kind of deal.

   FWIW

   Michael R

    

    

1. 
   BoardmanWI | Mar 23, 2005 03:17pm | #10

   To be fair to yourself, you should take a look at the quality of the wood.  Some have already mentioned what can happen to wood that old.  Bugs for sure.

   Then I'd check a local sawmill and find what they're charging for rough sawn of those species.  I sure wouldn't offer that much, because your taking a mixed bag of his hands - more like half of those prices.  I think you can "back up" your offer if you take some time to price it out by quantity and species - he'll feel your not just shooting a price off the top of your head.  For instance, 8/4 walnut goes for about $8-10 bf around here.

   I he were to auction it off as one commodity he wouldn't get half of sawmill prices.