selling some of my hives, what is a reasonable price ?

[mushmushi]

Hey guys,

What is a normal price to sell a complete, 2 deep super hive (bottom board, screen, supers, inner cover, top cover and miller feeder) ?

Some of the woodware has been used for at most 4 years and most even less than 2-3.

A nuc usually goes for 175 - 200$ in my area (3 frames + 1 food + 1 empty).

I have only treated the hives with formic acid most of the comb is natural comb. Never had any foulbrood issues

Cheers,

MM

[westernbeekeeper]

If they are good strong hives, then I'd say at least start at $350.

[Acebird]

350 sounds good to me if you are going to guarantee they make it through the winter. If not then I wouldn't want to take the chance at this time of the year.

[mushmushi]

350 sounds good to me if you are going to guarantee they make it through the winter. If not then I wouldn't want to take the chance at this time of the year.

Oops, I should have mentioned that I will sell them in Spring!

[Andrew Dewey]

If you are fond of lobster, you could bring them to Maine (have fun at customs!) and I'll trade you a lobster dinner for each hive. Seriously, a hive in spring depending on strength and the enthusiasm of the buyer should bring $150-250 US. A strong hive in a honey producing area will bring you the most money. I think westernbeekeeper is optimistic in his estimate. Unless the woodenware is new in the last year it will likely be valued as used - no real value.

[zhiv9]

I have seen prices of around $300 in the spring and early summer.

[Daniel Y]

I just read an ad that has been up for a while for singles on pallets (wanting to sell quantities of up to 300) for $125 per hive. even if you double that you are at $250. willing to sell them one at a time could easily make up the other $50. Seems like even by those numbers $300 each is not out of line.

[Acebird]

I will comment that things seem to be a lot more expensive in Canada.

[Northwest PA Beekeeper]

If you were a beekeeper starting out and would have to buy the hive equipment brand new - looking through a Mann Lake catalog, for the 2 unasembled hive bodies, 20 unassembled frames, 20 frames of Ritecell foundation, a bottom board, a top cover, and inner cover - you are looking at around $107.00. (This is based on buying 100 frames and 100 Ritecell.)

The hive bodies have to be asembled and the frames have to be assemled - that is YOUR labor. To buy a package of bees you are looking at $90.00. So right there is $197.00.

I understand the hives aren't new - but the buyer is getting drawn comb with a laying queen, and brood, and whatever honey wasn't used over the winter. A hive of bees ready to go - not a newly installed package that has to draw out comb.

So, $250.00 - $300.00 certainly wouldn't be out of line.

[Andrew Dewey]

Please note that the singles at $125 have not sold. Over priced??

[JRG13]

In the Spring here, doubles go around $280 depending on who or who isn't liquidating. Summer time prices drop quickly. Is it 10 frame or 8? A good strong hive ready for a third box in spring, you can probably get around $250 for it U.S., a little more if it's 10 frames and not 8. A lot of people are selling singles for 100-$125 right now, I got a double for $140, 10 frame, strong hive, but like I said, just depends on whose liquidating at the time as it seems a lot of people were moving onto other things than being a small time beekeeper around here.

[RAWMAWTAW]

Here in Santa Cruz County, Bring a hive box with a frame exchange, for an established strong small hive 5-6 frames drawn $125 plus frame exchange, medium hive 7-8 frames drawn $135 plus frame exchange, large hive 9-10 frames drawn $145 plus frame exchange. when you factor in the price of hive bodies in good condition $250 is a resonable start.

[mmmooretx]

BeeWeaver charges, pickup, $300 for:
8 frames of brood, bees, and honey
1 division board feeder
Includes deep hive body, lid, and bottom board
I have seen similar charges for complete hives out of Florida.

[Gord]

300 - 350 if the woodenware is good and you have decent brood in both deeps.

[Specialkayme]

Much of it depends on area. I recently purchased a few hives for $85 each, and I wouldn't be interested in purchasing them for more.

I can get singles in Spring for $150. So if I were to buy a single in spring for that price, and national average was a 30% overwintering loss (optomistic in some areas), what would I have to pay in fall for that same spring hive? By my calculation, $105. If I purchased ten hives in fall, and seven made it through winter, and I would have paid $150 each for those seven, I would have paid $1,050 for those seven. You are essentially buying losses, and they have to be factored in.

Then, if you figure those hives will require 1) a treatment of some type and 2) feeding of some type, it will cost you money to get them ready for winter. Say it will cost you about $5 for a treatment and $5 for feed. That should be taken out of the purchase price, which would bring you down to a price of $95 per hive in fall.

Then, figure that you have to go pick them up somewhere. That, in relation to the cost of travel to pick up your spring splits, should affect the price that you are willing to pay. We can assume they are next door and travel wouldn't cost you much.

Then, figure in that you could be introducing some diseases. Are the hives inspected? The hives sold in spring have to be inspected to comply with state law here. If those aren't, you have to discount the price somewhat to account for the fact that you could be introducing diseases that could affect your other hives.

For me, that price breaks down to $85 each, with a max around $95 each. Granted those prices were for singles, not doubles. But a double isn't worth twice as much as a single. You can't take a double (this time of year) and split it into two and have two singles. The second brood chamber is part of the same colony, so it isn't worth the same as two singles to me.

The theory that you are getting drawn comb and a laying queen doesn't mean anything to me. You get that with the $150 single too. The same with the equipment.

But, used equipment isn't worth much, and we all know that. If you buy a bottom board for $11 from a supply company and put it on your hive, congrats, that bottom board is now used and is worth half (at best) as much as it was when you bought it new. That's not counting progressive years of use.

I don't know how things work in Canada, or close to the border, but around here $300 per hive is an insane price. But, if you can find someone that is willing to get it at that price, or you find out that's the going rate in your area, go for it.

[mushmushi]

Interesting perspectives.

I will definitely try selling them for more than 300. In autumn, the hives aren't worth much.

A nuc is sold here in Spring costs between 175$ and 200$ and comes in a nuc box with 3 frames of brood, 1 food and 1 empty. It will definitely not produce any honey supers (running at two standard brood boxes).

I figure if I sell the used hive in Spring with a strong colony, that hive will be able to create surplus honey in 2-3 mediums at least. You get the used woodware + honey for 100$ more.

In the worse case, I'll split them myself and make 2-3 nucs out of every hive.

[JRG13]

Mush, it just boils down to what hives are going for in your area and what people will pay for them. If the hives are strong you can get a good price for them, but don't get caught up in all the little details. If lots of people are liquidating excess you probably have to settle for a lot less than you want or you have to find the right customer who can recognize the value in a strong double deep hive ready to go.

[delber]

I sold a hive this year (6 frames of brood and 2 other drawn / partly nectar filled frames) for 200 and thought it was a bit low. This queen was a INCREDIBLE queen. This obviously was a single and I believe the guy who bought it has a great hive. I was kicking myself for selling it a few weeks after I did. I'm thinking that 300-400 isn't bad.

[Acebird]

mushmushi, are you trying to make money or just giving up bees?

[mushmushi]

mushmushi, are you trying to make money or just giving up bees?

Neither.

I have 14 hives in the suburbs (lost my spots where I usually had bees) and work full time / travel which makes it difficult to manage all the hives.

Honey processing is also a pita and I have no desire commercializing it.

Bringing the number of hives down is the goal. If I can just break even with what I've invested so far (my time excluded) I would be happy.