“The prices New York-sourced wood is asking are astronomical,” said Vincent Kaufmann, operations manager at LV Wood, a Manhattan-based reclaimed wood retailer, whose eight employees handle 75,000 feet to 100,000 feet of wood products monthly. “I can get the exact same beams at a much more reasonable price from dealers down south,” he said. “And the supply is much more consistent.”

Selling the story in the beams.

Eco-conscious customers value the story behind a boards: where it’s from, how old it is, and what the material was used for in its original life. Bigwood handled the wood coming out of one of the first condom factories in the U.S.

“I don’t know why,” said Mr. Stopper, “But it didn’t matter what else I was selling, everybody wanted a piece of the condom factory.”

As compelling as Sandy’s “hurricane in one’s house” story might appear, its tale has yet to translate into major sales.

“When I consider the prospect for a floor having another life,” said Mr. Solomon, “For them to come out of a building and go back into a new one, it’s become like that one acorn becoming the giant tree.”

via Buyers unmoved by Sandy’s reclaimed wood | Crain’s New York Business.