Helping a neighbor sell a lumber stash

[Sam Shankar]

Hi folks. I was recently introduced to a woman whose husband passed away a year ago and left behind a large stash of lumber.

When I went to her house, I was expecting to find a charity case of 2x4s. What I ran into was two large mixed piles of skip-planed hardwood. A lot is wide (>14”) 4/4 beech, but there’s also a fair amount of wide and thick (8/4, 12/4) white oak, plus Spanish cedar or mahogany and some random exotics…all mixed in with the occasional 2x6 from Home Depot. Most seems to be 10-12 feet long.

At first I thought about just grabbing a few sticks for myself and going on my way, but the piles were impossible for one person to sift, and I found myself wanting to do more to help this woman out. I lost my dad nine months ago and this woman is right where my mom is. She wants to get rid of this giant mess under her deck, but she also wants to honor her husband by not just giving it away his treasured stash to the first guy with a flat bed.

The problem is that it’s sort of precisely the wrong amount of wood. It’s way too much for an individual hobbyist to deal with. Certainly too much for me--it would probably take me a full day and a hernia just to un-pile it, and she can’t deal with dozens of random lowballing craigslisters who want a deal on a single board. On the other hand, it’s a messy pile of uncertain lumber in a tiny alley; I doubt any commercial outfit would want it.

Any advice, creekers? FWIW, this is in the DC metropolitan area. I’m attaching a few pictures. For scale, the widest boards are ~16" wide.
505980505981

[Thomas McCurnin]

I'd advertise in Craigslist take all or nothing. $500 OBO

[Jim Becker]

FB Marketplace is a good option for local sale, including at that scale, and may be stronger than Craig's List at this point.

[Patrick Kane]

Ive purchased a few lots similar to what you describe. Unfortunately, you cant have it both ways. As you say, it's too much material for most hobbyists and too much of a headache for any commercial outfit. This means you are either taking the time and labor to sort it properly and list each separately to maximize the value, or you are selling it as-is for a discounted rate. In my experience, the lots i purchased were enormous headaches. Moving thousands of disorganized board feet by hand really really sucks. A lesson for all of us, if you are going to pack rat hoard lumber, then atleast do it in a way that it's accessible by some form of mechanical assistance. My last experience was probably my last.

[George Yetka]

Ive purchased a few lots similar to what you describe. Unfortunately, you cant have it both ways. As you say, it's too much material for most hobbyists and too much of a headache for any commercial outfit. This means you are either taking the time and labor to sort it properly and list each separately to maximize the value, or you are selling it as-is for a discounted rate. In my experience, the lots i purchased were enormous headaches. Moving thousands of disorganized board feet by hand really really sucks. A lesson for all of us, if you are going to pack rat hoard lumber, then atleast do it in a way that it's accessible by some form of mechanical assistance. My last experience was probably my last.

We should be keeping a list too with rough selling price for our wives. But the downside is they will most likely kill us, whether out of anger or hope to collect that number.

[Richard Coers]

Biggest concerns with stacks of stored lumber is powder post beetle. Stacked in a barn should always be avoided as that is the perfect breeding grounds for a big infestation. I've been selling off my turning wood collection for the last several years. It's turned out to be a pretty nice part time business. But 10-15 year old 6-8" thick blocks are more rare than boards and the market is pretty good.

[John Lanciani]

Hate to say it but that pile, in that condition and location, has "Free wood" written all over it. (Outside, in the dirt, unorganized and a pain to get to even to look at it.)

Just getting someone to agree to take it all and clean up after themselves will be a win.

[Sam Shankar]

Hate to say it but that pile, in that condition and location, has "Free wood" written all over it.

Yeah, I'm sort of dreading offering up that conclusion (or the $50-$500 equivalent). I'm thinking it would be a fair deal for me to sort and stack it in return for as much of the nicer stuff as I could reasonably use.

[Brian Tymchak]

Sad that premium hardwood was so poorly stored. Quite the waste. If the lady is just trying to get rid of the piles vs selling with some expectation of return, you might try contacting a local woodworking club (check that they are 501c3) or other non-profit to see if they might be interested in a donation. Even if only 50% of the pile is usable, a non-profit should be interested. I know I would be. If they are, have them pick up vs you figuring out how to transport. If they take it, the lady can claim the donation on taxes.

[Kent A Bathurst]

.........they will most likely kill us, whether out of anger or hope to collect that number.

Tools, not lumber, will be mine.

[John TenEyck]

Yeah, I'm sort of dreading offering up that conclusion (or the $50-$500 equivalent). I'm thinking it would be a fair deal for me to sort and stack it in return for as much of the nicer stuff as I could reasonably use.

I think this is the right approach. Stored the way it has been is going to make it hard to sell unless you pull it out of there, sort and organize it, and house it somewhere more appropriate. His wife will appreciate both having it cleaned out and that it's going to good use.

A school or 4H club might be another option if you can get them to come haul it out and away.

John

[Sam Shankar]

Sad that premium hardwood was so poorly stored. Quite the waste.

It's not so much poorly stored as it is stored in a way that makes it really hard to sift and assess. It's hard to be sure what's in anything but the top layers, especially since I'm not exactly an expert on wood identification. (BTW, can anyone give me a sure-fire way to ID beech? Because I think she has a ton of it.)

Your point about donation to a nonprofit is a good one.

[Jim Becker]

I just looked at the photos more closely...I'd be really, really, really itchy about critters given how that was stored so close to the ground and a tarp or a porch isn't helping with that, either. I think every darn board needs to be carefully inspected in that respect.

[David Stone (CT)]

(BTW, can anyone give me a sure-fire way to ID beech? Because I think she has a ton of it.) The rays in beech give it a very distinctive appearance: gazillions of closely spaced, short darkish dashes in more or less parallel lines that are immediately apparent on the face of the board. If you can get a hand plane on the board, it should be obvious, or not. ... I once made an armoire out of beech ages ago. It's an interesting wood but have rarely seen it available commercially and it seems an unlikely find in a hobbyist stash. But who knows, maybe.

[Sam Shankar]

I'd be really, really, really itchy about critters....

You mean wood-eating critters or hand-biting critters? Anything that would cause harm to my existing stash?

[Sam Shankar]

[Beech] seems an unlikely find in a hobbyist stash. But who knows, maybe.

I was stumped but then the woman said "could it be beech? Because our neighbor cut down a huge beech tree some years ago." Some of these boards are 16+" wide.

[Patrick Kane]

We should be keeping a list too with rough selling price for our wives. But the downside is they will most likely kill us, whether out of anger or hope to collect that number.

One of my experiences with an entire lot purchase was from an older guy in his 80s selling his walnut hoard. As i was loading it up, he talked to me for awhile and he commented at one point, "i have to get rid of this while im alive for fear my wife desecrates my body". Made me chuckle as i was loading the boards. He made a fair point.

[Jim Becker]

You mean wood-eating critters or hand-biting critters? Anything that would cause harm to my existing stash?
Wood eating critters and yes, they could infest your existing stash if they are present.

[Andrew More]

One of my experiences with an entire lot purchase was from an older guy in his 80s selling his walnut hoard. As i was loading it up, he talked to me for awhile and he commented at one point, "i have to get rid of this while im alive for fear my wife desecrates my body". Made me chuckle as i was loading the boards. He made a fair point.

A few years back I got about $1K in rough walnut, cherry and a few other choice pieces from the estate of one of my neighbors for free. They didn't know what else to do with it, figured I'd use it, and sorta "owed" me for fixing our shared fence, which cost around $1K. (They've got dogs, we don't, and don't need the fence.)

[Cameron Wood]

I was given hundreds of BF of teak from a friend's estate which had been sitting around since the '60s. There was also white oak which was about half rotted, but I was able to cut away the bad parts and save a lot. There was some powderpost in the basement where the wood was stored, but none in the wood I took. About 1 1/2 years ago.

What about looking for an enterprising H.S. or college student to sort and sell for a 50% split?

[Brian Tymchak]

I was given hundreds of BF of teak from a friend's estate ...


A few years back I got about $1K in rough walnut, cherry and a few other choice pieces from the estate of one of my neighbors for free. ...

Geesh, that never happens to me. :(

[Ray Newman]

Did the neighbor give you any idea what she thinks it is worth or what she would be willing to sell it for?

Over the years I have helped some people sell off tools and antique firearms. More often than not they think what they have is worth a king's ransom when it was not worth much. I wish you the best.

[Dave Fitzgerald]

A couple of FB groups may be useful. There is 'Virginia Woodworking and Maker Buy and Sell' if you want to try listing there, and 'NOVA Woodworking Community' if you want to put the query out to local folks. Presumably similar group(s) focusing on the other side of the river.

[Edwin Santos]

Sometimes the easiest solution is a tax deductible donation to a charitable organization that will haul it away and is accustomed to dealing with anything and everything. In my area we have a few that take building supplies and salvage from demo projects. People like Habitat for Humanity come to mind also.

The fact that this material was stored in the dirt is a big concern. Dirty wood will play hell on planer knives, blades and cutters. Outfits that deal in salvage or reclaimed material don't care about that as much.

[Sam Shankar]

In response to some of these Qs--I don't think this woman is looking to make a killing on this, she mostly wants to put it all in good hands and not get completely ripped off. The advice to go to Facebook is a good one.

[Dan Wasson]

Another option would be a donation to the local high school construction trades or shop class. The donation could be in her husbands name, and it would be helping youth looking to be working with wood projects or jobs.

[Jacob Smithy]

I'm in the DC area and would be interested in taking some of that wood off her hands!

[Sam Shankar]

I'm in the DC area and would be interested in taking some of that wood off her hands!

PM me and maybe we can figure something out.