Getting Ready

Knowing when to sell

Proper timing also helps maximize timber sale profits. The best time to sell is when demand for timber is high, supply is low, prices are at a peak, and when the timber has reached, but not exceeded, economic maturity.

Timber prices are cyclical. If current prices are depressed, timber can be "stored" on the stump until prices improve.

Timber, like other crops, eventually reaches optimal financial maturity. Growing timber may be compared to growing an apple orchard in which the trees grow for a number of years before producing apples. After the trees start bearing fruit, production increases and finally reaches a maximum before tapering off. At some point, the orchard is no longer profitable and must be replaced.

  In the same way, timber grows for decades   before producing salable wood. Volume   and quality steadily increase until growth   begins to slow. If not harvested,
  over- mature timber can actually lose   volume and quality due to decay, insects,   and storm damage.

  A forester can assist you in obtaining a   better price for timber by assessing timber                                                                              quality, maturity, and market conditions.