Syrup pricing

[Tapline]

How much is everyone selling the syrup for this year. Have a few gallons I would like to sell.
Thank

[Atgreene]

My father has always said, if no one complains, you aren't charging enough.

[michael marrs]

we are selling ours for $12.50 pt., $25 qt. I am selling ours to our archery club members as a fund raiser. I am collecting the sap, and boiling on the property. All the syrup sold goes to the club, as I am donating it. I don't know if you want to lower the price if the volume sold goes up for instance,, $12,50 pt. $23 qt. $75 a gal. I was told by one member, he wanted a gallon, I told him $100. he said fine, but again this is our fund raiser, good luck

[tbear]

Sold it for $9.00 a pint last year, $17.00 a quart. Selling only pints this year, $10.00 each. Sold 3.5 gallons already so I guess the price is okay. Ted

[Tapline]

Thanks guys. I have decided to set my prices $11 pint $19 quart $52 gallon.

Sent from my SM-S120VL using Tapatalk

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

what ever covers your costs with a profit. if you owe the USDA a lot of money you need to charge top price. if you like me with very low overhead 35 a gal, three for 100. 20 for 1/2, 10 for qt.
its more than bulk at 24 a gal

[mi-maple]

I wouldn't even sell by the gallon unless your making a lot of syrup. I do pints 10 quarts 20. Makes everything easy

[maple flats]

I sell pt $10, Qt $17, Half gal $27 and Gal $52. Been doing well at those prices.

[sg5054]

So where are we all this year for pricing? I'll just be selling pints and quarts.

[Sugarmaker]

At the end of the season when I am wore down, what ever it is doesnt seam to be enough!!:)
In general I don't think we get enough for the syrup. Its a lot of work and investment to make a finished food product.
Regards,
Chris

[maple flats]

It does you little good to know what we are selling syrup for, you need to find out what the local market is selling it at. Check other local producers, then be right in the middle of their prices, don't try to start a price war.

[30AcreWoods]

There are many ways to sell syrup, and may people who buy syrup. IMHO I wouldn't even begin to try and sell/compete with the larger producers who place product in the larger stores. We sell all of ours through word-of-mouth, social media and a local sandwich shop. Where we are at, folks like to know what they are getting, where it came from, and who made it. The types of bottles (glass, plastic, etc.) and volumes all make a difference in who buys it and how much one can charge. We built a "micro market" and it works well. Last fall I attended a maple workshop and one of the speakers indicated that there is plenty of market for small/mid-scale producers to sell all of their syrup at fair prices. My experience is that his observations are accurate.

[sg5054]

It does you little good to know what we are selling syrup for, you need to find out what the local market is selling it at. Check other local producers, then be right in the middle of their prices, don't try to start a price war.

I guess I should have worded my question differently. Having been in both the wholesale and retail marine businesses for work for 30 plus years I was only trying to see where people were at. I'm very familiar with the prices wars BS and I've sent more than a few people out of my boatyard when they demanded I meet a price. I don't believe in low balling nor over pricing either. I believe in being fair to all parties involved.
My signature shows where I live. I thought I might hear from some folks near me but your right on one point. I don't care what you sell it for in NH or the other states as that would have no effect on me. It would be interesting to see how others price their product for the sake of curiosity but what do I know, I'm just a Maple Enthusiast not a Super Moderator......

[Sugarmaker]

sg,
I was always and still am concerned about our maple products and pricing. Years ago I was talking to another sugarmaker about pricing and he said that the only ones really concerned/ worried about pricing is the producer. Meaning the customers will generally pay good money for quality product. So whenever I loose sleep over a price increase I try to think back on that. We don't raise our prices each year. In fact it had been 5 years since we had any price increases in maple syrup and or value added product.
I have heard rumors that there are folks within a hours drive from our sugarhouse that are selling finished, juged syrup for $38 per gallon. That is a very very reasonable price, for this area. I have also heard some areas of the country (New England states) getting $70 plus for gallons of syrup too.
We attempt to have quality products and try to inform our customers about our products. As another local sugarmaker noted. We are selling an "experience" not just syrup. Customers will pay for that experience! We see that every year as folks come back to the sugarhouse to visit, enjoy the time in the sugarhouse, listen and learn some things about making a natural food product!

So, we are at $60 per gallon this season. And I think we may have sold more gallon jugs this year than prior seasons at this same time. Most folks (other sugarhouses in area) are not at this price point. Like any other business, someone will always be more, others will be less. We had 300 plus folks come through the sugarhouse and test the products and review the pricing before they purchased in mid March. I dont think we heard any complaints. Our sales were normal or maybe a little above. (we have been doing this for 16 years) I am sure the customers went to other sugarhouses (on our 19 sugarhouse tour) and bought maple products and compared prices too. Maybe we will be stuck with a pile of syrup at the end of the season? Maybe no one will come back next year? Check back in April 2020 I will let you know how the year went.

Maybe good to see what others are pricing there products at for sure. But I dont necessarily agree with about being in the middle. The view is always the same from the middle of the pack. Its up to you!

Regards,
Chris

[sg5054]

Chris,
I agree with you. I sell primarily pints. I've been at $10 for a few years. Moved to my current location 2 years ago and finally got everything set and organized this year. Spent a ton of money to get it all set up from scratch. I'm going to bump it up a dollar or two this year. Everything this year was an "experiment as there wasn't any infrastructure in place. I set up 3 shurflo pumps on 3/16, an Rb15 RO Bucket kit and a small Smokey Lake filter press. New shack the year I moved in. Very pleased with how it all went.
Hope it all went well for you.
Scott

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

My signature shows where I live. I thought I might hear from some folks near me but your right on one point. I don't care what you sell it for in NH or the other states as that would have no effect on me. It would be interesting to see how others price their product for the sake of curiosity but what do I know, I'm just a Maple Enthusiast not a Super Moderator......

We are over in western Maine but not too far away. We sell ours for $5/half pint, $8/Pint, $15/Qt., $28/Half Gallon and $55/Gallon. We may discount $1 or $2 if someone buys a lot but generally that is our price whether to a consumer or 1 of the 4 businesses we sell to. They then mark it up from there and it still sells. I consider those prices average for our area. Being near the coast like you are, you can probably get a little more than that if you market it to the right people (IE - tourists). Check with some of the local shops and see if they will sell it for you. Check other shops to see what they are charging, mark yours down some from that and find a shop that doesn't have any maple syrup for sale. Work out a price with them.

[wmick]

I've never sold any myself, but here in SW Ontario... (Elmira Area)... Prices seem to be $40-$50 Cdn$/4Litre.... or $10-$17Cdn$ /Litre
Which equates to $28-$35USD/Gallon and $7-$12USD/Quart

[ennismaple]

wmick - The prices in your area have always been driven down by the Mennonite farmers. My understanding was they wanted everything gone by May and priced it to sell quickly! Our prices in 2004 were higher than they are selling it for now. I know my costs have gone up a lot in the last 15 years!

[wmick]

wmick - The prices in your area have always been driven down by the Mennonite farmers. My understanding was they wanted everything gone by May and priced it to sell quickly! Our prices in 2004 were higher than they are selling it for now. I know my costs have gone up a lot in the last 15 years!
I had no idea that we were in such a low ball niche area here..... Assuming all syrup quality was the same, (which obviously we cant).... you could buy it from the folks over here... take it home and resell it for a decent margin, never needing to split a block of wood. :confused:
I guess the low pricing would help to explain why there's always been maple syrup in the house, growing up. I cant imagine who's buying the half-pint or 250ml bottles... I could use that up on a couple bowls of ice-cream. I wonder what the poor people eating? :)

[n8hutch]

I get 7 for a half pint,13 pint 22 quart,37 for a half gallon and 65 for a gallon, sure I give some breaks here or there especially for the people buying a gallon per week. But I don't give my syrup away and I won't, I sell every bit that I can make and then some.

I will Add that I have never had a complaint about my prices from any consumer's, just the occasional sugar maker

[sg5054]

I had no idea that we were in such a low ball niche area here..... Assuming all syrup quality was the same, (which obviously we cant).... you could buy it from the folks over here... take it home and resell it for a decent margin, never needing to split a block of wood. :confused:
I guess the low pricing would help to explain why there's always been maple syrup in the house, growing up. I cant imagine who's buying the half-pint or 250ml bottles... I could use that up on a couple bowls of ice-cream. I wonder what the poor people eating? :)
I too would consider a 1/2 pint just an individual serving, same way I see a pint of Ben and Jerry’s...

[30AcreWoods]

I get 7 for a half pint,13 pint 22 quart,37 for a half gallon and 65 for a gallon, sure I give some breaks here or there especially for the people buying a gallon per week. But I don't give my syrup away and I won't, I sell every bit that I can make and then some.

I will Add that I have never had a complaint about my prices from any consumer's, just the occasional sugar maker

Nate, your prices seem very fair to me. I've never had any complaints from consumers and I'm in the same price range up here. I have plans to add taps by an order of magnitude in the coming years and have no doubt I'll sell all of the syrup.

[FanshaweGirl]

I've never sold any myself, but here in SW Ontario... (Elmira Area)... Prices seem to be $40-$50 Cdn$/4Litre.... or $10-$17Cdn$ /Litre
Which equates to $28-$35USD/Gallon and $7-$12USD/Quart

I'm over in Lambton county, Wyoming area. I don't really price out syrup much since I don't buy/sell any. I've seen the prices up to $20/L or $55/4L.
I should see what the farm markets have it priced at.

People will pay big amounts for it, until they find out that you make your own, then they want to buy it from you at a deeply discounted price.

[30AcreWoods]

[QUOTE=...until they find out that you make your own, then they want to buy it from you at a deeply discounted price.[/QUOTE]

You are spot-on with that observation. We just keep things professional. This is a labor love..but would you ask your best friend who is a dentist to work on your teeth for free?

[sg5054]

When I had my boatyard I had a guy bring his diesel engine in to rebuild. It had swallowed salt water and he had left it sit in the barn over the winter(brilliant). It took a week to get 4 pistons out of the block due to the corrosion. I gave him an estimate. He took it, said he needed to think about but really went shopping for a better deal. He came back and said I was trying to gouge him as I was charging MSRP for the parts. He demanded that I match the price. I refused and said you could take it to them. Said he would but they couldn't touch for 4 -6 weeks. He wouldn't let it go and kept after me. I finally said that I was going to help him out. I raised the shop door, got a hand truck, put 4 boxes of parts and the block out beside his car. He spit and sputtered the whole time. I closed the door asked him step outside and shut off the lights.
He wanted to know what he was supposed to do now. Told him I didn't really care, suggested he go to the other shop and my work schedule was booked solid for 3 months. I then got in my truck and left him standing there with all his parts. I went and had a beer at the pub.

Bottom line, We work hard for this, it isn't cheap to do and we create a quality product. We offer a good value and deserve to be paid a fair price for it. I have asked people what they do for work and does their company offer discounts just because someone asks for it or thinks they charge too much. Usual answer is "well, no of course not". So then why should I be expected to do so?

My best customers were the regular blue collar working stiff. My worst nightmare over and over again was the doctor, lawyer or Indian chief. They always felt entitled to get a discount or something for free. The blue collar folks appreciated the work and always paid there bills. The other crew, not so much..

[FanshaweGirl]

Sounds like I am in good company here!

I'm a mechanic, 310S license in Canada. Light/medium duty automotive. People always want me to fix their stuff on the side, to same them some money. Personally, I have no interest in packing a toolbox to go and work on the ground in your driveway, outside, after a full work day just to be paid less than what I would make working in a heated shop with a hoist.

When I was working the front desk part time at one shop I had to deal with the customers wanting discounts on everything. I don't know if they figured the tech would give them a better price than the guy in a clean shirt. Most people don't realize that if you want a break on labour, the tech usually gets paid less to do the job. Not a great way to get on my good side.

Work or maple syrup, this is not cheap and it takes a lot of work. Same with buying tools for my job, there is equipment that needs to be bought for this hobby. Stainless steel is not cheap!

I do give syrup away, but to select people only. That good friend who will drop what they're doing to help when you call, they get free syrup.

[FanshaweGirl]

Oh, and salt water in an engine, left to sit! That's scary!!

A smart person would have cleaned that out. Or at minimum flooded it with oil.

[FanshaweGirl]

I was in at a local farm market today.
250 mL for $6.99
500 mL for $11.99
1 L for $19.99
2 L for $35.99
4 L for $59.99
all plus tax, in Canadian.

[ennismaple]

I was in at a local farm market today.
250 mL for $6.99
500 mL for $11.99
1 L for $19.99
2 L for $35.99
4 L for $59.99
all plus tax, in Canadian.

There is no HST on whole food (maple syrup included) - so their prices are 13% higher and they are pocketing the extra.

[sg5054]

I decide to go with 13/ pt and 25/ qt. It's flying out the door with rave reviews.
Got a large list of tweaks to do do over the summer.

[Tin_Man]

Canning jars: Pint $15 / Quart $25 / 1/2 gal $40.
Maple Leaf & fancy bottles: 50ml $3 / 100ml $7 / 250ml $12 / 500ml $23 / 750ml $30

Maple leaf and fancy bottles sell 4:1 to canning jars.

I only bottle in glass no plastic. Don't sell gallon or 1/2 pint canning jars.

My prices are on the high side because my costs are high. I live in a high traffic residential area and buy wood split & seasoned. Calculated that wood costs $.25 per ounce of syrup.

I drive 30 miles round trip daily to collect sap and my truck sucks up the gas plus maintenance, estimated cost is $.05 per ounce of syrup.

Equipment was app $15,000. I calculate that I need to sell 750 gal of syrup to break even on equipment cost, that is 38 years of syrup making @ 20 gal per year. I'm 65 years old, that will make me 105 years old before I pay off the equipment....and that's if I don't buy anything else which is next to impossible. For next year I'm purchasing a filter press which will cost around $3,000.

I know it's impossible to come close to breaking even and I don't try, this is a hobby. I sell a limited amount of syrup every year, usually around 20 to 25 gal. First come first served. No problem selling at those prices.

Thought about getting an RO but for me steam is my calling card, it's what draws the people. On days I don't boil I hardly sell anything, start boiling and it's a steady stream of people willing to buy maple syrup. I do this as a hobby not as a business. I tap and boil for a 6 week period every year and everyone in town waits to see the steam. No sugar shack, my concrete driveway gets transformed into an outside, no roof, maple syrup production area, might sound odd but I don't want a sugar shack, I love being outdoors & I think people like seeing what it takes to make maple syrup without entering a building. The town people love watching the steam billowing out, I let them throw wood on the fire, everyone gets a free 1oz free sample hot off the draw-off. I think the free sample is what sells the syrup, plus I think people feel guilty taking a free sample and not buying any.

[bprifle01]

I don't make enough to sell, but I give it to friends and family. My son asked me this year how long it takes to make a gallon of syrup and I figured that I would probably have to charge about $30.00 a pint just to cover my time. Even at half that, I'd be at the high end of the market price!

[sg5054]

Tin Man,
You must have degree in marketing....