Shopping Around!

[Barnyard]

I was in need of about 30 four foot long 2x6’sfor a project I am working on. New eight footers are about five bucks each so it would cost around $75.00 for 15 boards to do my job. Since used lumber would do the job I turned to my good friend, Craigslist to see if anybody had cut off pieces listed.

It took several days but finally this morning there was an ad for 15-20 12’ 2x6’s. They were listed as “used once to form concrete. Some still have nails”. The concrete and nails would not bother me one bit. The ad said the seller was asking $60.00 or OBO for all. Well, because of the distance, it was going to add another $25.00 just for fuel so the overall cost would jump to $85.00, about ten bucks more than new. There was more than enough boards there figuring I would only need ten 12-footers to get my thirty boards, so I gave it a shot and called.

The guy said the boards were all straight and none were broke. He said there were also six or seven four footers along with them. Since the ad said “OBO” I asked what his best price would be. He said because of the distance I had to travel and the fact he wanted them gone, he would take $40.00 for all. I told him I would be there in about an hour to get them.

When I got there it was obvious there were a few more than he listed but he said they were all part of the deal. I just unloaded the truck. In all there were actually;
28 - five footers
12 – twelve footers
12 – fourteen footers.

The five footers will handle my project easy enough. Now I need to find another project for all those long fellas.

[VinceD]

You got a really good deal. Congrats!!!

[Rudi]

Nice Deal

I like my local Kijiji .... our version of Craig's LIst I guess. Some really good deals if you check often.

[randallc]

Way to go Barnyard. Good deals seem to follow you around, or maybe it is because you work for them, any way, glad to see a good deal go down. I bet you can find plenty of good projects.

[Barnyard]

Good deals seem to follow you around, or maybe it is because you work for them,

Randall, the deals are out there if a person looks hard enough. I usually check Craigslist several times everyday. You never know what you might find unexpectantly. I use a lot of pallets for stacking wood, Jeep parts, extra tractor stuff, etc, etc. The other day I saw an ad for metal pallets. It was a distributor for conveyors and other material handling stuff who was wanting to get rid of some of the pallets they accumulate now and then. They had 14 skids that were 30" X 44" X 5" and 6 that were 36" X 36" X 6". When I called about them the guy said they he would take $25.00 for all of them. The dually was on the road within a half hour.





The guy said they usually scrap a lot of their stuff but the guy who picks it up makes most of the profit so they just advertise it now to get more bucks. He even threw in a couple that were bent up. He said he would keep my number for when they get the next bunch and would give me a call first. I could have stopped at the scrap yard on the way home and tripled my money, but I need the skids.

[Donegal Cub]

Great deal there, you got nearly enough timber to build a new barn in your yard (no pun intended)
Many years ago when we were building houses, we used the roof rafters to shutter the lintels over the windows and for the seat for the wall plate, and then cleaned it up and pulled the nails and reused the timber for the roof as they were intended. There was a lot of make do, and reuse in those days.
Bernard.
Donegal Cub

[Goraidh (Jeff)]

Great deals, Bill. You do know how to find them.

[Gary Dotson]

Nice score on the pallets, Bill! Those look mighty handy!

[Thackery]

Couple os good deals there Bill, I have found several goods deals for reusable materials, good for you.
Doug

[Bus Driver]

Advertise the lumber that is surplus to your needs on Craigslist. In the 1950s, a relative bought all the aromatic cedar that a local sawmill had, planed into tongue and groove boards, for $300.00. Lined two closets. walls and ceiling. Sold the surplus for $300.00 and that buyer did a closet and sold the remainder of the cedar for $300.00.

[danovercash]

I love it when a good deal comes together, but I'm the only one at this home that sees it that way. Recently swaped fire wood for saw logs and a having them sawed for havers. Actually a little more complicated , but too long for here.