Selling Price For Cherry and Walnut

[Keith Starosta]

Good morning, Folks! I have a pretty general question about how I should price some rough-sawn lumber I'm going to try to sell. I've got about 160 board feet of cherry, and about 40 board feet of walnut. This wood has been in dry storage for more than ten years, and who knows how long before that. It's been over a decade since I've purchased lumber, so I'm pretty clueless as to current prices. I've done a few Google searches, but would also like some opinions from you folks as well. What would be an approximate fair price to ask for these two lots, respectively?

I've attached a photo of the wood for your viewing pleasure. Thanks, and I greatly appreciate your feedbck!

~ Keith

[Chris Schoenthal]

Looks like you have some long and wide pieces, which I'm assuming by the pic are around 4/4, so shipping probably isn't much of an option.
Just search for lumber or hardwood in your area to get going rates. Rates around the country vary quite a bit.
Again, the boards that you have are probably worth more than smaller ones, so I would up the price by about $1.00/bdft.
Wish you lived a lot closer to TX, I would be all over those.
Good luck in your efforts.

[Jim Becker]

That cherry would look lovely in my pile, but until I have a shop building, it's just a fleeting thought.


The current price list for my local supplier has #2 common cherry at $3.25 for 4/4, #1 common at $4.25 and FAS cherry at $6.25. Some of your boards are not clear, so they are going to tag one of the lower categories. "Wide" adds a little value to things...about $1.50 more for FAS "wide" cherry at the same supplier. Each step up the thickness adds about $.25 per board foot. Walnut is currently about a buck more per board foot for FAS. (FAS for walnut is different and "more flexible" than with cherry due to the nature of walnut. Note that these are KD but unsteamed.

[Keith Starosta]

Thanks for the replies, guys.

I've made some calls to local suppliers in my area, and the cheapest I've been quoted for rough saw, kiln dried cherry is $7.50/bf. The walnut is coming in at between $11-$13/bf! :eek:

I know those are dealer prices, but I was still surprised.

[Robert Engel]

$1000 would be a good deal for someone, assuming its FAS and not a lot of sap wood.

[roger wiegand]

Assuming you want to sell it all at once and not let people pick through the pile (a wise choice!) I'd guess about 70% of what similar wood sells for at a good local hardwood lumber yard, eg not a boutique lumber seller like Woodcraft.

At my local deal walnut is high right now $10.10 for 4/4 rough, cherry is $6.70 both FAS.

[Jim Becker]

Thanks for the replies, guys.

I've made some calls to local suppliers in my area, and the cheapest I've been quoted for rough saw, kiln dried cherry is $7.50/bf. The walnut is coming in at between $11-$13/bf! :eek:

I know those are dealer prices, but I was still surprised.

Your local pricing should be a good guide for sure..."location, location, location..." :)

[Zachary Hoyt]

I used to sell rough cut cherry for $1.50 a board foot, fresh cut or air dried, and recently I bought 270 bf of 4/4 cherry for $1/bf if I bought the whole pile, which I did, or it would have been $1.50 to pick through. It's hard to tell the quality from pictures, and that makes a huge difference in value. What I can see looks like a lot of knots and some sapwood, which would tend to put it toward the lower end of the value range. Different places have different economic scales, as has been noted.

[Ron Citerone]

Dealer prices are a starting point, but I would also look at CL and Facebook Marketplace to see what others are asking since you are not a dealer. If all those cherry boards are from the same log or tree that is a plus IMO.

I see people listing on CL that are asking dealer prices and they keep showing up over and over. Unless a private guy is below dealer price, I think it is hard to sell.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

My local sawmill (30 to 45 minutes away) sells 4/4/ cherry at $4 and 8/4 for $5.

I think you are in Wixom Michigan, so not sure about sawmills there (family right around you but my wood working stuff is in Ohio). For $1 a board foot things would sell very fast. I can buy local kiln dried for $4 and pick through the bundles. At $4 a bd foot, unless it was easy access and close I would just go to the sawmill. For $2 a bd foot, I would be there.

The same sawmill sells walnut for $8.50 and $3.50 for the same but "Rustic Walnut" (whatever that is).

https://almendingersawmill.com/kiln-dried-lumber/

[Jon Grider]

On the western side of Michigan, select and better cherry for less than 100 bd ft. is about $4.25. Walnut, $9.80 bd. ft.

[stephen thomas]

Being it was over a year ago, did you ever sell it?

FWIW, i would not buy the walnut - it has way too much, ahem "character" and almost looks like some might have been cut from branches.
There are no clear cuts in any of it, except for small items. OTOH, a pen turner or similar might find a lot of interest in a board or two & appreciate the character.

The cherry is interesting enough - it looks quite good for most pieces as long as it was cut to log rule, a full 1-1/8" thick before drying. Even after drying, 4/4 rough cherry should still be mostly over 1" thick.
I've had offers on "deals" for wide locally cut cherry but they sawed it between 7/8" & 1" thick & on the pile before flattening, it is about 3/4" to 7/8" thick rough. I can't get useful lumber out of that for anything except panels, small boxes, and drawer sides. Honestly, material like cherry and walnut, i'd far prefer to buy 8/4 or even thicker.

The point is, for quotes or suggestions on price, dimension is a large factor. Actual MC is, too despite how long it has been laid up. If it is still 10 - 12%, that is only a little below where the free water is expelled. There is still a lot of bound water & potentially warping and cupping left to occur.
If the wide cherry is under (not "at") 10% & such that it can be flattened and planed to yield a net 13/16" minimum clear, it was probably worth $3 or so.
How did you do?