Price per gallon

[adk1]

For those out there selling, what is the range?? Around here its $45/gallon. I ahve heard up to $70/gallon in places!

[maple flats]

I sold out at $54/gal and $16/qt in plastic. I lost no sales because of price.

[stagecoach maples]

45 to 50 a gallon around here seems to be about right

[Russell Lampron]

I am selling mine for $45 a gallon. The NH Maple Producers Association does a survey every spring and they came up with an average of $51 a gallon. These are at the sugar house prices. Gift shops and stores would be more. I too haven't had any complaints about the price.

[NH Maplemaker]

I kept my prices the same as last year,which is 48 a gal 26 a 1/2 gal. Everyone said they were glad that I was able to keep prices the same this year! Jim L.

[red maples]

I am at 51 per gal and 32 per 1/2 gal for some reason down here the prices are just a little higher. which is good for me. and everyone I sold syrup to loved the prices thought it was a steal. Good for me.

[Killington Maple]

I've been told by 3 dealers this week that syrup profits really soar when you pack in glass bottles. 2 said you can get as much as $110.00 per gallon. Seems kind of high to me.

[red maples]

yeah if your a convient store or toriist trap type place!!!! I have seen it as high as $95 a gallon up in the lakes region NH and thats plastic jugs!!!

[LawnMowerMan]

I know I am a noob here but man seems homeade syrup should get a higher price, especially small producer types. Before this year I bought my syrup at the grocery store, and even at Wal mart its 8.99 for a 12oz glass bottle. Thats $95.00 a gallon at WAL MART! and who knows where that comes from.

Its like when I buy sweet corn from a local guy, its more than I can buy it in the store but its grown a mile from my house, and he replaces it each morning and sells till dark. He told me once that his corn is never more than 12-15 hrs old. I am happy to pay more for it.

[KenWP]

yeah if your a convient store or toriist trap type place!!!! I have seen it as high as $95 a gallon up in the lakes region NH and thats plastic jugs!!!

You want to see expensive syrup. The gas station in Stanstead is trying to sell 100ml bottles of syrup for $6:95. That is $385 bucks for a Canadain gallon or $262:71 for a Us gallon. I almost choked when I seen the price. I would love to get $50 bucks a gallon for mine.

[ADKMAPLE]

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Come on, this cant be true. Has anyone figured out their hourly wage per gallon of syrup yet? And I am not talking about simply standing there boiling it.

All the time from cutting/splitting wood through the whole ordeal until you draw off a gallon? It has to be pennies on the gallon!

[KenWP]

A whole pail of pennies. I would say I don't break even on the syrup just on the expenses for chainsaws and hauling wood and building a evaporator. I should be okay next year as i don't have to many more improvements to do on the evaporator but I need a sugar house. LOL

[ADKMAPLE]

yeah but your probably only making $5.00/hour! If that

[220 maple]

I know I sell my syrup too cheap, 42 a gallon, 22 half gallon, 12 a quart and 7 a pint. If I charged for my time I would probably add a zero to each number to break even. I never count my time. I do agree anytime you value add to your product the prices goes up and sometimes alot. Glass is one example, candy and Maple coated nuts is another.

Mark 220 Maple

[ADKMAPLE]

i hear the best money maker is maple cream?

[220 maple]

I have never made maple cream, Yet! My mother in law who is in charge of coating the pecans,almonds and english walnuts keeps suggesting that it would be a good seller. I'm not that motivated in buying a creme machine. If someone would come foward and request a large quanity then I will probably buy a creme machine, that's what forced me to buy a candy machine, I had to make a large quanity of candy for a young ladies wedding. I then went out and created a market to move candy.

Mark 220 Maple

[ADKMAPLE]

you dont need a machine, you can do it by hand, its just alot of stirring.

[220 maple]

I recently heard that the new creme machines serve a dual purpose that being for creme and maple sugar. I did discover at a festival I set up last weekend that maple sugar sells. My dealer talked me into buying these plastic sugar shakers and five pounds of sugar, I all but sold out. I will need to make my own sugar lord knows I make plenty of dark syrup every year which is perfect for maple sugar.

[ennismaple]

$60 per 4L is about the norm in our area. I have no reservations raising the prices a few percentage points a year because our expenses certainly go up and that has to be passed on to the consumer.

[maplefrank]

i'm just trying sugar now...............don't have a market though...

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

$ 13 @ quart and pints are $ 7.50. That is the only sizes I sell in and can hardly ever sell any other sizes. Price per container is same whether you buy one, four or eight, so a gallon is $ 52 in quarts and $ 60 in pints and yes, some people buy a gallon or more in pints.

[220 maple]

Brandon,
I've sold them both ways, if the customer is a repeat customer I sometimes give them a small break if they buy 4 quarts or 8 pints at a time. I have one person that I need to jug up 5 gallons for. They buy every year and always that amount, I'll knock 2 dollars off per jug because they have been a very good customer. I feel sure they would pay the extra 10 dollars for the five gallons but I have always treated them that way and hope I can always make plenty of syrup to continue giving them a break in the future.

Mark 220 Maple

[Haynes Forest Products]

I remember seeing a small tin of syrup at the Royal Gorge in colo and I picked it up and saw the price:o I noticed the bottom was all scratched and shinny from it being put back on the shelf. I like selling in glass 1/2 gallons I get $25 for them.

[3rdgen.maple]

Quart 16, pint 9, glass 12oz 10, glass 8oz 7 sell out every year and like Brandon it does not matter if you buy one or twenty that is the price. No complaints yet.

[red maples]

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Come on, this cant be true. Has anyone figured out their hourly wage per gallon of syrup yet? And I am not talking about simply standing there boiling it.

All the time from cutting/splitting wood through the whole ordeal until you draw off a gallon? It has to be pennies on the gallon!

man if I could charge for labor and what I spent for my first year Last year...for get it.

my father in-law asked how many gallons would I have to sell just to break even....I just laughed;)

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Mark,

Sometimes I give them a little discount if they buy a bunch or have been buying a bunch every year for years. I went from $ 12 to $ 13 on quarts this year and $ 7 to $ 7.50 for pints.

It is $ 20 a quart in Krogers and around $ 18 in Walmart and they have to charge sales tax on top of that and I don't since I am agricultural producer, so as far as I am concerned, mine is a bargain anyways compared to theirs. Besides, people know where mine comes from!

[220 maple]

Brandon,
I agree we are not over priced by any standard. I bit the bullet and went and got a tax number recently. What I was surprised to discover that Maple Syrup is not a food product. The tax on syrup is 6% vs 3% for other food items. The official at the tax office in Martinsburg said syrup is considered a condiment. GO FIGURE? I had the county health inspector scratching his head at the festival last weekend when I told him Maple Syrup was not a food product according to the state tax dept. I know the inspectors don't knock our doors down. Which is ok by me. but if its not a food product what business do they have looking even if they were asked to look?

Mark 220 Maple

[Haynes Forest Products]

So is Milk a condement when you put it on Corn Flakes?

[Dennis H.]

I did a little checking to find what people are charging a while back and I came up with $14 for a quart and $8 for a pint. That makes it $56 and $64 per gal.

I have 1/2 pints but I have had no one interested in that size.


To me this is a hobby that I am trying to make enought to pay for the toys that go along with the hobby. I have had quit a few hobbies that just gobbled up $$, lots of fun but it took a ton of $$. Like auto racing, tires, brakes, gas, oil, helmet every few years.

[bison1973]

The Wisconsin guys should chime in and tell what they charge. For some reason most here like to give it away.

[sapsucker78]

The Wisconsin guys should chime in and tell what they charge. For some reason most here like to give it away.

Thats right I try to sell mine for $42.00 a gal and people tell me its to high. I know others that are selling gallons for $38.00 and $39.00 and a amish guy 15 miles from me sells his for $20.00 a gallon! :o

[Ausable]

Here in North-East to Mid-East Michigan the prices seem about the same -retail. However - the last couple of years - the Maple Syrup seems to sit on the shelves - where in years past it would go quick and be hard to find. I'm thinking - at least in Michigan - the unemployment is so high and many are working at lower paying jobs - that people are going without certain things - maple syrup being one of them. This year seems to be a low production year for maple syrup - so - if in short supply - even in hard times - the maple syrup should start to move off the shelves-------

[maple flats]

sapsucker78, Can you get me info on the Amish who sell for $20/gal? Do they make quality syrup? Do they sell bulk? I ran out at $54/gal with most packed in $16 qts, some $29 half gal. I sold out from preorders before the season, but this was a very poor year to say the least. I also sold out in April last year with $49 Gal and $15 qts, a fair year. Also sold out in May in 08 with $45 gal and $14 qts and that was my record production year, made 186 gal on 525 taps gravity.
You guys who sell too cheap are just hurting yourselves and the industry. In fact in 08 in my record year I was the highest price in my area by about $3/gal, I sold out and the others didn't. What does that tell you. Have I ever had anyone say the price was too high, Of course but it is extremely are they don't buy and they come back to buy again and again.

[maple flats]

By the way, I have a poster on my sugarhouse wall from Cornell about the price of maple entitled "How much would you charge?" or something like that. It goes into detail how much is involved in making a gallon of syrup, from thinning the bush to tapping, to collecting (in buckets by the way) to hauling to filtering the sap, boiling and every other aspect. It then ends with the question, How much would you charge? Anyone who comments on the high price (and very few do) is shown the poster, most buy after reading it with no more high price comments. You must realize, pure maple IS a luxury. Most people will pay more for a luxury than they will for a necessity.

[Ausable]

Hey Maple Flats - No argument from me about the price - I just make it for family and a few friends. But - for all the work involved - I would want at least two hundred a gallon if I was selling it. ----- Mike

[sapsucker78]

Maple Flats,
I do agree with you 100% but that don't stop my locals from telling me the next guy down the road will sell syrup for less! The other day some one ordered 48 glass quarts from me and then backed out because he could get from somone else for $9.00 a quart!!! Thats not all this buyer was a retired syrup maker!! I thought he should have remembered the amount of work that goes into it!!:mad:

[bison1973]

Many people here in Wisonsin will actuallly sell syrup retail for less than what they could get in bulk.

[tapper]

Many people here in Wisonsin will actuallly sell syrup retail for less than what they could get in bulk.

Yes this is very common in my area also.

[maple flats]

This is also common here. But you see I don't buckel and I sell out. After I add vac next year and add 350 more taps I likely won't sell out but I think I will stay towards the top pricewise and sell bulk for the rest except for saving some for hard times ahead along with year round sales. I haven't had any for Christmas sales since 07. Right now to be exact, I have 1 pt dark amber, and 11 qts extra dark for cooking (which people have been buying for table) and 1 half gal Xdark. So essentially I have sold out. What remains is also going fairly fast. I Think I will be at absolute zero before June 1. The xdark for cooking (B) I sell for $50/gal, $28/half and $15/qt, just to sell retail and not need to go bulk.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Mark,

I have an agricultural business license as maple syrup is under agriculture in WV and I assume most if not all other states. At least in WV, you don't have to charge sales tax since it is an agricultural product as long as you the producer is selling the product. Stores have to charge the sales tax as they are not the agricultural producer.

Get an agricultural tax license if you don't have one. You are also sales tax exempt on all purchases for syrup equipment, etc. Comes in handy as it saved me taxes on my new tractor a few years ago and lots of other purchases including the wood splitter I purchased a couple weeks ago.

Also, the agricultural business license is free vs paying $ 30 every 2 years for any other business license.

[argohauler]

I charge $50/4L, 28/2L, 15/L, 9/500ml, 6/250ml (cup).

Neighbour charges $55/4L, 38/2L, 20/L

I know of one place that charges $100/4L. They're more geared to tourists though.

Yes ennismaple our supplies go up each and every year! Fortunately I've found some cheap places to buy the farmgate plastic and regular syrup supplies. Even cheaper than Atkinson's!

[batsofbedlam]

I saw pints of Vermont Maple Syrup selling for $17 per pint in the Burlington, VT shopping district last Saturday. That's $136 per gallon. Not bad!

[TF Maple]

my Barber bought 4 quarts from me for $12 each and said that was cheap compared to the stores. I have seen other prices in the area that are about the same. I'm just happy to get some money back to take some of the expense out of the hobby. Since this is only my second year I'm not too serious about making money I guess.

[jmayerl]

This was my 1st year making syrup and I ended up with about 7 gallons off 28 taps. I am giving most of it away to friends and family, but did sell some. I had two people pull in my driveway while I was cooking and practically begged me to sell them each a qt. Both willingly paid $18 a qt in plastic. Then I find out a farmer down the road is getting 9/qt in mason jars! I think next year I'll buy from him and repackage it.

[bison1973]

That's what I'm talking about... For some reason so many Wisconsin producers have $8-$9 per quart burned into their minds and cannot change.

[LawnMowerMan]

Well I am a firm believer in "charging what the market will bear" With all the studies that are comming out about how many great vitamins and minerals are in Maple syrup, you should be getting ALOT more than $35-45.00 A GALLON.

Heck package it up and sell to the health food nuts. Heck my sister said the grade b dark dark, smelly stuff sells for a small fortune in the health food store she goes too. Or I guess ill have to get some chura fungus and boil that with the sap. The guy that sells that online sells 8oz of that for $32.00

I guess I would rather put it in small fancy bottles and sell to tourists.......ohhh I live in a perfect place for that, we have all kinds of rich tourists that come to West Michigan each year.

Oh and "jmayerl" being in business for myself, the more they beg the higher the price;)

I guess from the research I have done, being there are not alot of local guys around here I will probably be able to get more for mine next year.

I have to say one thing the stuff I made this year ended up getting me a ton of new business in my day job "lawn care" I gave out quite a few 8oz bottles as gifts to prospective customers, always nice to drop off a bid and a gift............lol I figure I have picked up about 5 grand worth of work I did not have last year and I owe it in some small part to the maple syrup I gave as a gift.

[Haynes Forest Products]

LMM you say your from west Michigan is that the west side of the east one or the west side of the west one that should be a seperate state ?

[LawnMowerMan]

LMM you say your from west Michigan is that the west side of the east one or the west side of the west one that should be a seperate state ?

lol I think that would be the west side of the east one. Basically I am across the pond from Milwalkee WI

;)

[Ausable]

If U B from Michigan it makes sense - It keeps us out of da big ponds and Ohio. We also have us a seperate state - dats where da Yoopers live above da Big Mac. We live below da bridge and da Yoopers call us da Trolls. Da best direction for a Troll to go is Up North across da Big Mac and visit his cousins da Yoopers..... Hope that clears it UP -- Mike (A Troll and proud of it)

[Haynes Forest Products]

Have a friend In Caloma and inlaws in Rockford and we spend a few days in Onaway near the lake/park................Yea Yea picking **** Blueberrys. Best part was visiting the big steel fab shop. Guy builds the crazy sculptures V8 powerd chain saw:)

[Ausable]

Well I am a firm believer in "charging what the market will bear" With all the studies that are comming out about how many great vitamins and minerals are in Maple syrup, you should be getting ALOT more than $35-45.00 A GALLON.

Heck package it up and sell to the health food nuts. Heck my sister said the grade b dark dark, smelly stuff sells for a small fortune in the health food store she goes too. Or I guess ill have to get some chura fungus and boil that with the sap. The guy that sells that online sells 8oz of that for $32.00

I guess I would rather put it in small fancy bottles and sell to tourists.......ohhh I live in a perfect place for that, we have all kinds of rich tourists that come to West Michigan each year.

Oh and "jmayerl" being in business for myself, the more they beg the higher the price;)

I guess from the research I have done, being there are not alot of local guys around here I will probably be able to get more for mine next year.

I have to say one thing the stuff I made this year ended up getting me a ton of new business in my day job "lawn care" I gave out quite a few 8oz bottles as gifts to prospective customers, always nice to drop off a bid and a gift............lol I figure I have picked up about 5 grand worth of work I did not have last year and I owe it in some small part to the maple syrup I gave as a gift.

Yep - You guys on the West Side of the Lower get the Rich Tourists out of Chicago - All they gotta do is find Lake Michigan and head North spending their money as they go - On the other hand - We - your poor cousins on the East Side of the Lower suffer ---- Oh we have Rich Tourists and they find Lake Huron and follow it North - but - We also have that darn Tourist Trap called THE THUMB - they get up into The Thumb - get confused - spend all their money and head home and we never see them or their money..... Mike

[maple flats]

WVM, In New York syrup is not taxable regardless of where it is sold. It is a food and foods are not taxed unless you are selling a single (or multiple of singles) serving for consumption. For ex. A diner serving breakfast with syrup charges tax, but the whole jug is non taxable. That being said, I also have a farm sales tax exemption form I use to buy anything for the farming operation making purchases tax exempt. I just file a blanket form with each dealer and the sale is not taxed, a new form is not needed with each sale. The dealer just needs a form on file in case they get audited on their sales taxes collected. I think there is a renewal needed every several years on the form (or dealers just get a new one signed periodically.)

[oldemaple]

I charge the following and have had no complaints. I charged the same amount last year.
Gal. $55
1/2 Gal. $32
Qt. $18
Pt. $10
1/2 Pt. $6
100ml. $3

Candy $1.50/oz.

[Farmboy]

I get more than most people but I have sold all I want to and could have sold more but I want to keep some for my own use.
I charge the following:
Gallon $60
Half gallon $35
Quart $20
Pint $12
Half pint $8
100ml plastic jug $5
50ml glass maple leaf $4
Next year I will be able to sell all I make again. I live in yuppievile so I can charge these prices.

[3rdgen.maple]

MapleFlats keep that info quiet i dont think Patterson is aware of this no tax on maple just yet. Hope he does not read the trader. lol