How often do you buy wood to turn?

[Perry Hilbert]

I’m a turner who almost exclusively uses found wood. AKA other people’s firewood. I have occasionally purchased wood over the last 30 years from estate sales or auctions with the intention of using it for flat work (boxes/cutting boards etc). And I've recently come to the realization that I probably have more wood than I’ll ever use in my lifetime.

With that in mind, I got to wondering -
How often do you buy wood blanks?
What percentage of your projects depend on a purchased blank? (As opposed to a blank you milled yourself)

And what considerations are most important when buying turning wood blanks?
Species?
Character?
Price?
Size?
Kiln Drying/Moisture content?

As little as possible, perhaps once a year and usually less than $20. Too much available free. I have 30 acrres of woods here at home, a saw mill 4 miles up the road with permission to grab any of the discard cut offs i want. they make pallet pieces for odd 7 ft machinery pallets so there are truck loads of 3.5 x 3.5 cut offs for spindle work. mostly red oak, but, i got walnut and cherry out of the cut offs. Some elm and even sycamore. Members of my turning club show up to meetings with truck loads of wood for free. So I get some odd ball stuff that way too. Catalpa, Circassion Walnut. I have some large Avian Cherry trees and Black Cherries grow like weeds here. Even got a big slab of wood from a red elm that grew at President Buchanan's home. I have one multi trunk Paulownia with trunks about 18 inches in diameter. Can't see paying, except for some very special projects.