tulip or yellow poplar values

[John_Boisselier]

Have an offer of some pretty nice tulip poplar trees in NW Indiana.  Wondering what a fair stumpage price is now.  Can anybody give some advice or recent guidelines?  Don't see much of this around here usually, but some of this could be veneer quality, but we aren't aware of a tulip poplar veneer market, at least locally.  Is there a decent market for tulip logs or veneer, and where?  
Thanks, John.

[Ron Wenrich]

Veneer is dependent on the amount of white sapwood there is in the log.  I'm thinking that its somewhere around $800/Mbf.  They're pretty selective.

We saw poplar all the time.  Prices are somewhat depressed due to supply.  They do use a lot of it for mouldings, especially wide mouldings.  Its a very stable wood that is pretty easy to work with.  It will take a stain really well, especially cherry or walnut.  

Our green prices are about $750 for the uppers.  Once you get past the F1F, the prices drop pretty quickly.  About $400 for the 1 Com and $280 for the 2 Com.  I don't saw too much into the common grades, since I have a better blocking market.  Most pallet plants will take the boards and cants.  

My alternative market is a 2x3 market that uses them for chicken and hog sheds.  It pays better than 1 Com.

Your markets for poplar will vary.  If you have a small amount, you may be able to sell to a wholesaler, just to move the stock.  Or you can advertise to a local market, if you can dry it.  

[woodmills1]

Up here it is at least $3.85 sq ft in the big box stores with oak around $5.85

[dewwood]

Stumpage in this part of Indiana (NE) runs $200 to $300, mills are paying $400 to $500 so figure your stumpage price from there after cutting, skidding, bucking and hauling to come up with a price you can pay for stumpage.

[John_Boisselier]

Thanks guys.  I appreciate the input.  Ron, can you tell me who is buying tulip veneer?

[Ron Wenrich]

We were selling it to a company in eastern PA, I think.  I'll have to check on it for you.  What's your location?

A number of years ago, I ran into a German veneer buyer who was buying tulip poplar for the European market.  They would peel it, and dye it different colors.  Then they would glue the veneer together to create different colored layers of wood.  

This was used primarily as trim on furniture and was popular throughout Europe, especially Italy.  

[Brad_S.]

Around here in Western NY I can get very good quality logs for $400 per thousand and sell it kiln dried for $1.60-$1.80 per bdft depending on quantity. At the moment I am having trouble keeping it on the shelves. There seems to be a rush from cabinet makers who are getting orders for painted kitchen cabinets. A new trend possibly?