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View Full Version : Amish under pricing.



Dennis H.
04-03-2012, 07:25 AM
Well it is starting here now.
The wife ran to a local Amish food store to get a few things and took a look at the maple syrup that they were selling.
They were selling a quart for $12.89. Man is that crazy. It wasn't even made locally. It was made by an Amish producer in Somerset, PA. You can figure out who is doing it.

I have no worries myself but it is funny how 2 years ago when i was in there last I saw the syrup being sold for over $15 but not it is WAY below my $14 I ask for a quart.

Just slows what kind people they can be .

spud
04-03-2012, 08:07 AM
Well it is starting here now.
The wife ran to a local Amish food store to get a few things and took a look at the maple syrup that they were selling.
They were selling a quart for $12.89. Man is that crazy. It wasn't even made locally. It was made by an Amish producer in Somerset, PA. You can figure out who is doing it.

I have no worries myself but it is funny how 2 years ago when i was in there last I saw the syrup being sold for over $15 but not it is WAY below my $14 I ask for a quart.

Just slows what kind people they can be .

If you sold your car and truck and bought a horse and buggy then you could sell for $12.89 a quart and make money also. The Amish make great furniture so I'm sure their syrup is of great quality also.

Spud

PerryW
04-03-2012, 08:16 AM
Maybe Spud but somebody was posting last year about the Amish setting the evaporator right in the cow barn.

I actually respect their lifestyle and (other than the religious stuff) have a lot in common with them.

maple flats
04-03-2012, 09:03 AM
Don't worry about the price they charge.
In the past I have been priced anywhere from middle of the road to upper end of our local producers. I have never had a customer try to talk me down and I have a very good retail following. Most of my customers just tell me how good my syrup is. This is why we get return business.
For the record, I now sell qts @ $15. Within a few miles I have one producer who sold at $35/gal last year, I haven't heard what they get this year, but I still sell my product, and I get $45/gal this year. In 2008 I had a very small supply and I raised my price to $54/gal and I sold all of my grade A and B, out of 186 gal I sold 154 A and B (I got $49 for the B), and took 32 C to Bascom's, I had no carryover, and sold out before July 1.
Just make a good product and be proud of what you make, don't be concerned with those who don't know what their product is worth.
Every year I visit a Woodsman's show in August. At the show there is always 1 producer who sells gal. at $35. I have talked with him to point out his error, last year he sold qts @ $12.50. I tell him he could do better selling it all bulk and not buying jugs and paying booth rent to lose money. He does not listen and continues. Last year I actually bought a pint from him to sample his wares. It was good syrup, just too cheap. Also at the same show there are 2 others who sell syrup and they get $46 and $49/gal. They appear to do as good a business as the guy who under prices his syrup.
Don't try to compete with those who under value their syrup.

PerryW
04-03-2012, 09:59 AM
I though my prices were low!

Last year, My prices last year were $48 G, $25 1/2G, $15 QT $8 PT and I was about the lowest around.

After this season, I raised them to $52 $28 $17 and $9 .

Gary R
04-03-2012, 04:23 PM
There's a local ad for $32 a gal., bring your own container. You can't get that bulk around here and you have no delivery cost. Not a bad way of selling.

Papa John's Sugar Shack
04-03-2012, 04:45 PM
Well I have to say some folks down the road from me sell a gal $32 , 1/2 $18 and a pint $8 for 2012 syrup.

Dave Y
04-03-2012, 05:15 PM
There are some areas where syrup is under priced. I have been to somerset county and have seen a lot of cheap syrup. It is there loss. Dennis I know the producer you are speaking of and I have seen things I would not talk about in public.

Russell Lampron
04-03-2012, 05:58 PM
I was selling mine for $45 gal and went up to $50 this year. It is my first price increase in 3 years. That was before the crappy season started too. The state wide average is $52.50 or something close to that. I figure that it is good to stay in line with the competition. I don't want to be the guy that undercuts everyone else just to make a sale. I don't have any problem selling my product anyway.

Michael Greer
04-15-2012, 07:48 PM
If you can sell it at the higher price, do it. If you run out, buy some from the lower price guy and sell it for your price. Everybody's happy.

sjdoyon
04-16-2012, 06:51 PM
i think a lot of Amish farmers still do it using buckets. Good on them if that's all they want for it.