Amazon?

[Larry Caldwell]

Right now we can sell everything which gets cut. It may not be at a price we want to get, yet it all adds up. The forests are different here than out west; it's mostly second growth and much of the ground has been cut through several times in the last 100 years. Yet it keeps coming back. Plus, as I mentioned above, mills have expanded recently and are working to use the smaller wood which traditionally fell out of the stand due to competition.

All the timber being cut on the West Coast is 2nd, 3rd, and 4th growth. Most mills won't even take a log bigger than 22" DBH, or charge a 25% penalty for big logs. They even run peelers down to 3" to maximize veneer yield. The difference is that Douglas fir grows straight, is structurally as strong as oak, and as easy to work as any soft wood. Mostly they run 2x4 and 2x6 studs, and engineered wood products. The sawdust is going to fuel pellets and presto logs. With petroleum prices on their way to double, burning wood is likely to make a comeback.

The last year has dumped a huge amount of money into the timber economy. Lumber prices have run 3x the historic norm, so anybody with a sawmill has been running 24/7. It's nice to see everyone rolling in dough for once, from the loggers in the woods to teamsters loading hundreds of lumber cars every week. Even the small rail company that serves our area bought a bunch of shiny new engines.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Pay for the Prime - if you will use it!
I use it a lot!
I got an airfilter for my vehicle the other day for $12 with free shipping. It was $44 from the dealer.

That's why I keep Prime.

 

[tradosaurus]

Pay for the Prime - if you will use it!
I use it a lot!
I got an airfilter for my vehicle the other day for $12 with free shipping. It was $44 from the dealer.

I thought you still get free shipping as long as you order a minimum $$ amount?

 

[fishdrivel]

I thought you still get free shipping as long as you order a minimum $$ amount?

I don't know. I'm a prime member. I order a lot of tidbits and get free delivery. Paying $20 for a food item that is unavailable locally is better than driving to the store.

I spent time in Okinawa. There was lot's of stuff that I could not get locally. Flying 10,000 miles for a hand tool can get very expensive. A lot of folks here live out in the sticks. Paying $25 for a log grapple w/free shipping is absuredly better than driving around the county. Arrived the next day.

 

[reb]

I thought you still get free shipping as long as you order a minimum $$ amount?

Yes, but they changed the ordering format so it isn't as obvious as before.

 

[oosik]

I have seldom used Amazon. But when I have - seem to be OK.

 

[tradosaurus]

So to clear the confusion I cancelled my Amazon Prime last week. I ordered two items totaling over $25 to get the free shipping.
I order enough on Amazon that the minimum total will not be a problem. The time to get items will not be an issue the majority of times since it was taking that long anyway when I had Prime.

1. Look for items that "Ship from Amazon" when shopping.
2. Add at least $25 of eligible items. shipped by Amazon to your cart.
3. Choose "FREE Shipping" at. checkout, and your order will. arrive in 5-8 days.

 

[ArlyA]

And I just ordered about 5 food items from them we can't get locally.

 

[beowulf]

I don't know if this has been mentioned here or considered in the discussion about whether Prime is worth it. We have Prime but also have the Chase-Amazon Prime credit card - when you use the card for purchases you get 5% off. I don't know if you can only get that card if you are a Prime member or not, but if so, and you buy a lot on Amazon, that can effectively reduce the cost of Prime membership. We buy enough to offset the cost of the membership - so for us, with the 5%, the free delivery (even if it is not always within 2 days), and the Prime video, it is a no brainer.

 

[tradosaurus]

I don't know if this has been mentioned here or considered in the discussion about whether Prime is worth it. We have Prime but also have the Chase-Amazon Prime credit card - when you use the card for purchases you get 5% off. I don't know if you can only get that card if you are a Prime member or not, but if so, and you buy a lot on Amazon, that can effectively reduce the cost of Prime membership. We buy enough to offset the cost of the membership - so for us, with the 5%, the free delivery (even if it is not always within 2 days), and the Prime video, it is a no brainer.

I will give it a few months of no prime membership to see if the Prime is not worth it. If I do go back to Prime I will consider the Amazon Prime credit card.