150-200 year old pine floor - How best to sell

[Abram]

I'm renovating an approximately 200 year old building in Alexandria, VA at the moment. The building had an old pine floor that we've carefully removed and is now being planed, sanded and cut into new 3/4" thick floor boards.

The width of the boards varies from 3 to 12 inches. We'll re-use most of it in the building but we estimate that 2000-2500 square feet will be left over after we are done. One of the floors in the building will be rented out as retail and it is up to the new tenant what they put on the floor.

The boards will come back from the mill in 1-2 months but with so much wood left over, and nowhere to store it, I'm looking into our options of selling it. However I have no idea what the going rate per square foot is for antique reclaimed pine floor boards and what would be the best way to sell it. The boards will be available for pickup in Alexandria, VA after we've installed the floor in the rest of the building.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Holzhacker]

Well, there's your first mistake. You probably should have left the stuff you didn't think you would need in its original natural state. Altering it probably cut out a number of buyers who would have wanted the old patina.
As far as selling, craigslist, your local wood shop bulletin board or here. I just bought a bunch of very nice Cherry from a guy off of craigslist.

 

[JerrySats]

I sell a lot of my extra lumber ( hardwoods mostly ) on Craigslist .  I get heart pine like what you have from time to time that's either in beam or 4/4 state . Once you cut into flooring your resale is limited . I sell 4/4 heart pine  for around $10 - $15 BF , the higher end is clear ( not knots or defects ) . In the DC area you should be able to get good money , the wider boards are usually a premium  . For me its 10" + and wider .

 

[RussellS]

The building had an old pine floor that we've carefully removed and is now being planed, sanded and cut into new 3/4" thick floor boards.

I agree with what has already been written.  You HAD an old pine floor and all of the patina, mystique attributable to that.  But after you planed, sanded and cut it, you now have wood flooring.  What is the wholesale price for pine flooring in your market?  I'd say you should talk to flooring dealers in the area and see what they will offer you for it.  You do not have old, antique pine flooring.  You have new pine flooring that happens to be made from trees planted about 300 years ago.  No one cares when the trees were planted.

An analogy.  You have a Richard Raffan turned bowl.  It has thick walls lets say.  You mount it onto your lathe and sand and turn the bowl and put some designs and burn marks in it.  You make yourself a new bowl using the wood Richard Raffan turned.  Do you think you can sell it as a Richard Raffan bowl?

 

[bobfog]

The building had an old pine floor that we've carefully removed and is now being planed, sanded and cut into new 3/4" thick floor boards.

I agree with what has already been written.  You HAD an old pine floor and all of the patina, mystique attributable to that.  But after you planed, sanded and cut it, you now have wood flooring.  What is the wholesale price for pine flooring in your market?  I'd say you should talk to flooring dealers in the area and see what they will offer you for it.  You do not have old, antique pine flooring.  You have new pine flooring that happens to be made from trees planted about 300 years ago.  No one cares when the trees were planted.

An analogy.  You have a Richard Raffan turned bowl.  It has thick walls lets say.  You mount it onto your lathe and sand and turn the bowl and put some designs and burn marks in it.  You make yourself a new bowl using the wood Richard Raffan turned.  Do you think you can sell it as a Richard Raffan bowl?

You're not wrong. But in my experience there are some buyers who want the warm feeling of the heritage and the boards actually being from trees planted 300 years ago, but still want the fresh clean look. It's a niche, but if the OP holds out, he may find somebody that actually values the new looking old boards very highly.

 

[rizzoa13]

Kinda of agree with Bob. The quality of the heartwood from yesteryear usually far outstrips what you can find today. That said you won't get antique/distressed wood prices for it. More like high grade new stock price.

 

[Abram]

Thanks for your replies. I've gotten the floor back from the mill and it looks pretty good. I partially agree with Russell, sure the wood doesn't have 200 years worth of varnish, oil, lacquer and I don't know what layered on it. But you can still see all the old nail holes and iron stains, small bug holes (and some larger ones) and it is virtually knot free.

But what I personally like about the old wood v.s. new pine is the color. It doesn't have any finish on it yet but the hue is a nice warm brown color, not bright yellow like the new stuff. Also, the grain is very tight! I'll post a picture when the floors are done.

Unfortunately the mill overestimated the amount of wood we'd get back and we have just enough to do the building and that's it.

Thanks for y'alls advice on selling it. I'll keep it in mind for next time.