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Thread: syrup theif

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    Rumney NH
    Posts
    125

    Default syrup theif

    hey traders,
    well, I made a roadside stand this year. sales are great!! but I got robbed. only took two weeks to find a loser. so installed a game camera. so I,m looking for some ideas. maybe I put out to much and the prize was too big. what do you guys do, and how do you handle theft.
    2017 140 taps 30x8 12x16 shack 28.5 gal
    2018 158 taps 30x8 12x16 shack with 8x8 kitchen 44 gal
    2019 223 taps 30x8 12x16 shack with 8x8 kitchen 36 gal
    2020 226 taps 30x8 12x16 shack with 8x8 kitchen 250 waterloo ro 63 gal
    2021 230 taps 30x8 12x16 shack with 8x8 kitchen 250 waterloo ro 37 gal
    2022 230 taps 30x8 12x16 shack with 8x8 kitchen 250 waterloo ro 55 gal
    2023 235 taps 30x8 12x16 waterloo ro

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Hopkinton, MA
    Posts
    1,778

    Default

    Game camera and limiting the amount you have out are good steps. All of my pickup business is email or text in advance. They write what they want and I let them know when they can pick it up - usually within a day depending on when I see the email. I leave it on a table on my porch for them with their name on it, so we both still have flexibility with our time. They leave the money under a brick or use Venmo.
    Woodville Maples
    www.woodvillemaples.com
    www.facebook.com/woodvillemaples
    Around 300 taps on tubing, 25+ on buckets if I put them out
    Mix of natural and mechanical vac, S3 Controller from Mountain Maple
    2x6 W.F. Mason with Phaneuf pans
    Deer Run 250 RO
    Ford F350
    6+ hives of bees (if they make it through the winters)
    Keeping the day job until I can start living the dream.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    NE Ohio, Geauga county, Montville
    Posts
    357

    Default

    I’ve used game cameras in the past, but they are very limited on how long they can record a video. I now have a Lorex camera system that records 24/7. I will only put small quantities of Half pint, pints and quarts in the stand. Half gallons and gallons they must come to the house. The time I did have a problem with theft, it came down to one individual. Good luck!
    12X16 Sugarhouse and 16x24 attached woodshed
    1000 taps
    120 3/16 tubing
    And still some buckets
    Becker U5.70 Rotary vane
    Leader 2X8 Reverse oil fired, Revolution Pans & Steam a way
    Lapierre Turbo 2000 600 GPH RO
    Leader Clear frame filter press
    John Deere Gator 6X4
    Indy 500 and a very large sled.
    Kubota M8200

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    Rumney NH
    Posts
    125

    Default

    well, thanks for the replies. went with two game cameras. one for their face and one for their license plate. my driveway is 800 feet long so a Lorax camera would not work for me, but they do look nice! we will see how it goes.
    2017 140 taps 30x8 12x16 shack 28.5 gal
    2018 158 taps 30x8 12x16 shack with 8x8 kitchen 44 gal
    2019 223 taps 30x8 12x16 shack with 8x8 kitchen 36 gal
    2020 226 taps 30x8 12x16 shack with 8x8 kitchen 250 waterloo ro 63 gal
    2021 230 taps 30x8 12x16 shack with 8x8 kitchen 250 waterloo ro 37 gal
    2022 230 taps 30x8 12x16 shack with 8x8 kitchen 250 waterloo ro 55 gal
    2023 235 taps 30x8 12x16 waterloo ro

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
    Posts
    11,544

    Default

    I don't use a stand. My local customers either call, I tell them the price, and I put it on a chair on my porch, they pick it up and put the money or check in my mailbox. Alternatively they pick it up at the one local retail outlet I have. The only other way I sell is thru my webside and I ship it to them, they pay both syrup and shipping total.
    Before Covid, I had several who would call and we'd set a time for them to pick it up at my hose or the sugarhouse.
    Dave Klish, I recently ordered a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
    Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
    Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
    After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    Rumney NH
    Posts
    125

    Default

    had a guy stop and leave me 7$ for two pints. four hours later he stopped again and dropped 12$ more.pints are 10$? thought about starting a wall of shame on the side of the roadside stand. thoughts?
    2017 140 taps 30x8 12x16 shack 28.5 gal
    2018 158 taps 30x8 12x16 shack with 8x8 kitchen 44 gal
    2019 223 taps 30x8 12x16 shack with 8x8 kitchen 36 gal
    2020 226 taps 30x8 12x16 shack with 8x8 kitchen 250 waterloo ro 63 gal
    2021 230 taps 30x8 12x16 shack with 8x8 kitchen 250 waterloo ro 37 gal
    2022 230 taps 30x8 12x16 shack with 8x8 kitchen 250 waterloo ro 55 gal
    2023 235 taps 30x8 12x16 waterloo ro

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Hopkinton, MA
    Posts
    1,778

    Default

    Ha, ha. At least he came back to try to settle up. I thought you were going to say he returned and took the $7 back!

    People have been really good here. I've only been shorted one time in many years and it was a genuine mistake. More often than not, people round up and I credit their next purchase. It was getting confusing to figure out how the amount of money from a few customers didn't match what it should, so I've started leaving old envelopes and pens for people to note their names.

    My only nuisance has been when people pay with coins. They are not scraping by. They just want to clean out the change in their car. I get it. I hate having a lot of change, too. Now I have even more! Quarters are one thing, but the nickels and dimes are nuts. It's not like I make night deposits. It's just going from their change bucket to mine. Maybe I should put my kids' piggy banks out there just to same me the effort!
    Woodville Maples
    www.woodvillemaples.com
    www.facebook.com/woodvillemaples
    Around 300 taps on tubing, 25+ on buckets if I put them out
    Mix of natural and mechanical vac, S3 Controller from Mountain Maple
    2x6 W.F. Mason with Phaneuf pans
    Deer Run 250 RO
    Ford F350
    6+ hives of bees (if they make it through the winters)
    Keeping the day job until I can start living the dream.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Harrisville, New Hampshire, United States
    Posts
    208

    Default

    Built a stand myself this year. Made it look look like a sugar house! Before I got the cameras up(took two weeks to get) had two small thefts. One *** took a half gallon, and left a buck!! I only put 2 of each product up there. I get an alert on my phone now, and have two way talk. Works pretty well even when I'm at work 15 miles away!
    Two years boiling on a Leader half pint
    2011 100 buckets,12 gallons made
    2013 120 on tubeing 20 buckets 27 gallons made
    2014 Leader King 2 x 6 Working on 400 + on tubeing
    goal: 70 gallons

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    Rumney NH
    Posts
    125

    Default

    Hey 68 bird, what kind of camera you use? does it use wi-fi? I have none at the stand and it is hard to find a security video camera that will send alerts to my phone.
    2017 140 taps 30x8 12x16 shack 28.5 gal
    2018 158 taps 30x8 12x16 shack with 8x8 kitchen 44 gal
    2019 223 taps 30x8 12x16 shack with 8x8 kitchen 36 gal
    2020 226 taps 30x8 12x16 shack with 8x8 kitchen 250 waterloo ro 63 gal
    2021 230 taps 30x8 12x16 shack with 8x8 kitchen 250 waterloo ro 37 gal
    2022 230 taps 30x8 12x16 shack with 8x8 kitchen 250 waterloo ro 55 gal
    2023 235 taps 30x8 12x16 waterloo ro

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
    Location
    NY
    Posts
    17

    Default

    I use a game camera currently however i am thinking of switching to ring door bell app for the notification and two way conversation ability.
    owner/operator, D&B Maple
    Tubing system consultations, installs and repair
    https://www.facebook.com/DB-Maple-110587323841677

    Operator, Fairbanks Maple
    6,000 tap family sugaring operation
    https://www.facebook.com/FairbanksMaple

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