(Topic ID: 337237)

2023 Fireworks stashes

By MattElder

10 months ago


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  • Latest reply 8 months ago by Pyropro
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There are 89 posts in this topic. You are on page 1 of 2.
13
#1 10 months ago

Hi all,

Independence Day is coming quickly, so I figured I'd start my yearly fireworks stash thread. I've already purchased the bulk of what I'll use for this year's show, but there will certainly be more to come! I'd love to see what others have gotten so far. The stores are getting busier for sure, so hopefully someone else on here has started to shop.

Anyway, here's what I have so far...

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#2 10 months ago

I hope your smoke detectors are working properly. That could be a big flame if a mis-hap was to accrue.

#3 10 months ago

I always think it would be a good idea to order a bunch of stuff real early but never do it. Can you save a lot of money ordering off season like right now or is it about the same?

#4 10 months ago
Quoted from iamdrunker:

I hope your smoke detectors are working properly. That could be a big flame if a mis-hap was to accrue.

It's not in my house. Just in an outbuilding. But, yes, monitored smoke detector in there. I'm an electrician, so why not?

#5 10 months ago
Quoted from Haymaker:I always think it would be a good idea to order a bunch of stuff real early but never do it. Can you save a lot of money ordering off season like right now or is it about the same?

Most of the places that I go have pretty steady prices year-round. But some of the smaller places do jack prices up when they know that people are scrambling to get things.

#6 10 months ago

I used to shoot fireworks professionally, and made a documentary video oh so many years ago at a PGI convention. https://www.pgi.org/annual-convention
Spent 5 days interviewing participants, videoing results of their home made bombs and maybe lit one firecracker. Next year I went and lit fuses to my hearts content.
One thing I would mention about class C competitions was that we were allowed to be much closer to the action and in some ways was more enjoyable to watch.
The year I shot the video, they lit close to 1 million firecrackers in one shot. Home made stuff you will never see at a regular show.

#7 10 months ago
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#8 10 months ago
Quoted from Seamlesswall:

I used to shoot fireworks professionally, and made a documentary video oh so many years ago at a PGI convention. https://www.pgi.org/annual-convention
Spent 5 days interviewing participants, videoing results of their home made bombs and maybe lit one firecracker. Next year I went and lit fuses to my hearts content.
One thing I would mention about class C competitions was that we were allowed to be much closer to the action and in some ways was more enjoyable to watch.
The year I shot the video, they lit close to 1 million firecrackers in one shot. Home made stuff you will never see at a regular show.

Very cool! I've thought about getting a license for 1.3 stuff (class B), but just haven't yet. This is a big hobby for me as well, and I'd love to put on shows for people here and there year-round. I do remote ignition, etc. It's a lot of fun, but I do take it seriously.

#9 10 months ago
Quoted from MattElder:

Very cool! I've thought about getting a license for 1.3 stuff (class B), but just haven't yet. This is a big hobby for me as well, and I'd love to put on shows for people here and there year-round. I do remote ignition, etc. It's a lot of fun, but I do take it seriously.

Try to buy direct from Victory Fireworks. If you order early enough you can pick up at warehouse. They usually sell direct to the Indians. The markup on fireworks is insane

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#10 10 months ago
Quoted from Pinplayer1967:

Try to buy direct from Victory Fireworks. If you order early enough you can pick up at warehouse. They usually sell direct to the Indians. The markup on fireworks is insane
[quoted image]

Thanks for the name of that place. That's one that I hadn't heard of before. Unfortunately, it looks like their nearest warehouse is 300 miles from me, so some of the other wholesalers can ship to me cheaper than I could drive there and back.

But yeah, the markup is absolutely nuts. The retailers make a killing, but they got hit pretty hard with the container fees, so I understand why prices really shot up these last few years. I know a few importers, and they went from having container delivery fees of $10,000, go up to $50,000 once the Covid crap hit.

Anyway, luckily one of the places that I shop at a lot is the largest in the world. 126,000 square feet of inventory, and he sells to many of the other retailers in the Midwest, so he can beat all their prices. He has very good deals.

#11 10 months ago

You're buying Chinese goods to celebrate what, exactly?

#12 10 months ago
Quoted from MattElder:

Very cool! I've thought about getting a license for 1.3 stuff (class B), but just haven't yet. This is a big hobby for me as well, and I'd love to put on shows for people here and there year-round. I do remote ignition, etc. It's a lot of fun, but I do take it serio

Class B is dangerous. Shall I tell you the mishaps I experienced? Here's one: friends of ours are setting up a show in Danbury CT. Finale racks are a group of 10 mortars (hopefully HDPE plastic) with a wood framework. Shells are loaded in, and pre-manufactured with quick match in series. Quick match is the fuse, something like 20ft per second burn. It is a cotton core imbeded with powder. What makes it burn so quick is the paper that encapsulates it. That paper becomes a potential problem in finale racks. The fuse burns at a rapid rate through this tube of brown paper bag like material. The problem is, the paper does not burn right away so, if the first shell comes out of the mortar and the paper is not burned away yet, it will PULL the next shell out (or the whole rack), ignite that lift powder, land on the ground all the while the timing fuse is burning. Then the aluminum flash salute will go off with titanium flakes flying in all directions right where you are as a technician lighting these things.
The way around this is to staple the quick match to the wooden frame so it can not pull the next shell out of it's mortar.
So, during the day as they were setting up, 3 inch salutes were being loaded and stapled with brass non sparking staples. All good. Until 10 salutes went soaring into the sky and everyone scurried. Including myself.
If, the technician or worker had any part of their body over any of those mortars it would not have been a good day.
If you are into fireworks, Join the PGI. An amazing group of people. Then, try to build a shell. From scratch. An interesting process.

#13 10 months ago
Quoted from jrpinball:

You're buying Chinese goods to celebrate what, exactly?

True! Not many options for American made unless you have a connection on the reservation for something homemade by a local artisan.

#14 10 months ago

@ bad all this fun is illegal in our state, mostly!!

#15 10 months ago

Someone messed up our local show last year. The 20 minute show lasted about 20 seconds

-5
#16 10 months ago
Quoted from Pinplayer1967:

True! Not many options for American made unless you have a connection on the reservation for something homemade by a local artisan.

I'm just wondering what's there to celebrate these days. This country is going down the shitter...fast!

-3
#17 10 months ago
Quoted from jrpinball:

I'm just wondering what's there to celebrate these days. This country is going down the shitter...fast!

Really, Eric. You don't think so?
Open your eyes!

#18 10 months ago
Quoted from jrpinball:

I'm just wondering what's there to celebrate these days. This country is going down the shitter...fast!

Hear you!

#19 10 months ago

Not going to stop us from lighting off fireworks. Some states you have a small window frame to use them legally.

15
#20 10 months ago
Quoted from jrpinball:

Really, Eric. You don't think so?
Open your eyes!

It's not personal, just didn't like the blanket statement.
I'm a former Marine, union tradesman for 33 years.
I personally believe we are all responsible, to blame the other side is a cop out. I also believe both sides suck most of the time.
I like fireworks! My stash is small this year. Leftovers from a large run last year.
Maybe 50 shells and a couple cakes.

#21 10 months ago
Quoted from Ericpinballfan:

It's not personal, just didn't like the blanket statement.
I'm a former Marine, union tradesman for 33 years.
I personally believe we are all responsible, to blame the other side is a cop out. I also believe both sides suck most of the time.
I like fireworks! My stash is small this year. Leftovers from a large run last year.
Maybe 50 shells and a couple cakes.

I respect that. I guess I'm just not terribly optimistic lately.

#22 10 months ago
Quoted from Ericpinballfan:

It's not personal, just didn't like the blanket statement.
I'm a former Marine, union tradesman for 33 years.
I personally believe we are all responsible, to blame the other side is a cop out. I also believe both sides suck most of the time.
I like fireworks! My stash is small this year. Leftovers from a large run last year.
Maybe 50 shells and a couple cakes.

Nice. I hope you have a great show. There's some good shells out there. I skipped them last year, but I'm narrowing down the candidates for this year's show.

11
#23 10 months ago
Quoted from jrpinball:

I respect that. I guess I'm just not terribly optimistic lately.

Yeah every 4 or 8 years half of us declare the country is over and it’s a disaster and everything sucks. Now it’s just your turn.

Buck up! If you live long enough, suddenly the country will be on the upswing again!

I’ve never had ANY problem celebrating July 4, even when I think the country is going down the shitter and everything sucks. It’s really not that hard to find SOMETHING to celebrate about where you live, is it?

#24 10 months ago

I prefer fountains and whistlers. None of those mortars. I have my ears plugged sometimes, For the bigger shows.

And while we are at it, what happened to 4th around my place the county puts the shows on the 3rd and it's a phone in on the 4th and its always scorching hot, hot, hot.

#25 10 months ago
Quoted from Ericpinballfan:

I personally believe we are all responsible, to blame the other side is a cop out. I also believe both sides suck most of the time.

Plausible deniability.

12
#26 10 months ago

jr, please stop the politics. I like the yearly big bang thread and don't want it closed.

#27 10 months ago
Quoted from Bmad21:

I prefer fountains and whistlers. None of those mortars. I have my ears plugged sometimes, For the bigger shows.
And while we are at it, what happened to 4th around my place the county puts the shows on the 3rd and it's a phone in on the 4th and its always scorching hot, hot, hot.

Agree, some of these are the best. Also, a good set of fountains and cakes is good for me. Don't need huge mortors unless I'm looking at neighbors down the road.

#28 10 months ago
Quoted from Puffdanny:

Someone messed up our local show last year. The 20 minute show lasted about 20 seconds

I hope this never happens to my show!!

#29 10 months ago
Quoted from Seamlesswall:

Class B is dangerous. Shall I tell you the mishaps I experienced? Here's one: friends of ours are setting up a show in Danbury CT. Finale racks are a group of 10 mortars (hopefully HDPE plastic) with a wood framework. Shells are loaded in, and pre-manufactured with quick match in series. Quick match is the fuse, something like 20ft per second burn. It is a cotton core imbeded with powder. What makes it burn so quick is the paper that encapsulates it. That paper becomes a potential problem in finale racks. The fuse burns at a rapid rate through this tube of brown paper bag like material. The problem is, the paper does not burn right away so, if the first shell comes out of the mortar and the paper is not burned away yet, it will PULL the next shell out (or the whole rack), ignite that lift powder, land on the ground all the while the timing fuse is burning. Then the aluminum flash salute will go off with titanium flakes flying in all directions right where you are as a technician lighting these things.
The way around this is to staple the quick match to the wooden frame so it can not pull the next shell out of it's mortar.
So, during the day as they were setting up, 3 inch salutes were being loaded and stapled with brass non sparking staples. All good. Until 10 salutes went soaring into the sky and everyone scurried. Including myself.
If, the technician or worker had any part of their body over any of those mortars it would not have been a good day.
If you are into fireworks, Join the PGI. An amazing group of people. Then, try to build a shell. From scratch. An interesting process.

Yeah, definitely danger in just about everything out there. If I were ever to get a 1.3 license, I would just stick to the 1.3 cakes. Stuff like this (these are just stock pics)...
6115 (resized).jpg6115 (resized).jpg6116 (resized).jpg6116 (resized).jpg6117 (resized).jpg6117 (resized).jpg

#30 10 months ago
Quoted from MattElder:

Hi all,
Independence Day is coming quickly, so I figured I'd start my yearly fireworks stash thread...

GLORIOUS!

#31 10 months ago

Back when the "good stuff" was illegal in PA, I would drive an hour down to Maryland and buy the 1.4G stuff from a wholesaler and then break the cases down to bootleg them to my friends and coworkers back home. The closer to the 4th it got, I was going down several times a week and completely loaded my VW GTI full of cases each time.

Fireworks are also super illegal in MD, so you had to show proof you were not a MD resident to buy. Carloads of kids were coming down from places like Boston and NYC and not realizing how much room whole cases of fireworks take up, so they would be breaking the cases down and cramming them under every seat and spare compartment they could find. The one worker there said they would have a few people a year abandon their spare tires there just to use the spare tire well for more room. The volume discounts were awesome....you could get a gross of roman candles for around $20 back then! I usually had quite a stash of stuff to put off every year. Now that they are legal here, it just isn't as fun to me any more I have some good memories of those experiences though.

-6
#32 10 months ago

I have a huge Fireworks place down the road. Always wonder how they stay in business and who is buying fireworks.

Not my bag...nothing good can come from setting off fireworks.

#33 10 months ago
Quoted from PoMC:

I have a huge Fireworks place down the road. Always wonder how they stay in business and who is buying fireworks.
Not my bag...nothing good can come from setting off fireworks.

I have to disagree. I grew up with fireworks as an annual tradition. My parents lit them now I do the same for my kids. I am addicted to buying them to this day. Seeing the joy on my kids faces when they are going off from a safe distance of course is something good. Now they don’t care as much as they are teens full of angst. It’s fun and I’m a fan of it happening only one night a year or so. It brings me back to being a kid. Love the sounds of summer!

Unfortunately in MN we are a safe and sane state for firework laws and nothing can actually leave the ground. Gotta jump the borders for the good stuff.

Now the yahoos that do it weeks before and weeks after…not cool!

I feel if you don’t like fireworks or celebrating our independence you should move to another country.

13
#34 10 months ago
Quoted from PoMC:

Not my bag...nothing good can come from setting off fireworks.

Damn, I could have sworn I've had a ton of good times setting off fireworks over the years. Guess I was mistaken.

#35 10 months ago
Quoted from Bmanpin:

I feel if you don’t like fireworks or celebrating our independence you should move to another country.

Yeah, ok.

#36 10 months ago

Great problem solved then. Thank you for no longer visiting this thread.

#37 10 months ago
Quoted from Bmanpin:

I have to disagree. I grew up with fireworks as an annual tradition. My parents lit them now I do the same for my kids. I am addicted to buying them to this day. Seeing the joy on my kids faces when they are going off from a safe distance of course is something good. Now they don’t care as much as they are teens full of angst. It’s fun and I’m a fan of it happening only one night a year or so. It brings me back to being a kid. Love the sounds of summer!
Unfortunately in MN we are a safe and sane state for firework laws and nothing can actually leave the ground. Gotta jump the borders for the good stuff.
Now the yahoos that do it weeks before and weeks after…not cool!
I feel if you don’t like fireworks or celebrating our independence you should move to another country.

Quoted from Haymaker:

Damn, I could have sworn I've had a ton of good times setting off fireworks over the years. Guess I was mistaken.

For sure! Great times with friends and family and lots of happy faces.

Gotta love some people saying that nothing good comes from fireworks. If it's not your thing, then great. But enough of the blanket statements and negativity. Geeze.

And as far as places not staying in business, I assure everyone that there is an incredible amount of people that are in the pyrotechnics hobby, and way more that buy for whatever reason.

12
#38 10 months ago

For the firework haters

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#39 10 months ago
Quoted from Seamlesswall:

Class B is dangerous. Shall I tell you the mishaps I experienced? Here's one: friends of ours are setting up a show in Danbury CT. Finale racks are a group of 10 mortars (hopefully HDPE plastic) with a wood framework. Shells are loaded in, and pre-manufactured with quick match in series. Quick match is the fuse, something like 20ft per second burn. It is a cotton core imbeded with powder. What makes it burn so quick is the paper that encapsulates it. That paper becomes a potential problem in finale racks. The fuse burns at a rapid rate through this tube of brown paper bag like material. The problem is, the paper does not burn right away so, if the first shell comes out of the mortar and the paper is not burned away yet, it will PULL the next shell out (or the whole rack), ignite that lift powder, land on the ground all the while the timing fuse is burning. Then the aluminum flash salute will go off with titanium flakes flying in all directions right where you are as a technician lighting these things.
The way around this is to staple the quick match to the wooden frame so it can not pull the next shell out of it's mortar.
So, during the day as they were setting up, 3 inch salutes were being loaded and stapled with brass non sparking staples. All good. Until 10 salutes went soaring into the sky and everyone scurried. Including myself.
If, the technician or worker had any part of their body over any of those mortars it would not have been a good day.
If you are into fireworks, Join the PGI. An amazing group of people. Then, try to build a shell. From scratch. An interesting process.

I have my license, employee possessor, handle 1.3 regularly and work for a company here in NY. Interesting you guys stapled to your racks. We never have. Occasionally when the one prior goes up, leader will yank and the next one will unseat (resulting in a loss of back pressure and low breaks), but never had the issue of one yanked completely out and laying on the ground. I tried to bring up how ...not smart it was to store indoors last year or the year before. This thread pops up annually. I was the kill joy, jerk, "were just inside long enough for a photo, i'm super safe"..yadda yadda. Try to point out things to help out and keep people safe and everyone gets all pissy. So. I just check in to see whats going on now because similar to social media, if it's not "atta boy good job" you're the @$$hole.

#40 10 months ago
Quoted from jrpinball:

You're buying Chinese goods to celebrate what, exactly?

We buy from Chinese people to celebrate that we are no longer oppressed by British people

#41 10 months ago

Fireworks seem like craft beers. All basically the same, just different "funny" labels/themes to catch your eye.

#42 10 months ago
Quoted from Ericpinballfan:

and a couple cakes

I like cake

#43 10 months ago
Quoted from PoMC:

Fireworks seem like craft beers. All basically the same, just different "funny" labels/themes to catch your eye.

Some are, but you just have to know what you're looking for. People not into it don't understand that. Many years ago I felt the same. But there are tons of different effects, color combinations, shot patterns, lift height, etc. The sky is literally the limit.

#44 10 months ago
Quoted from PoMC:

Fireworks seem like craft beers. All basically the same, just different "funny" labels/themes to catch your eye.

Big Bong Theory looks like the best one.

#45 10 months ago
Quoted from jackd104:

Big Bong Theory looks like the best one.

That is a great one!! It had been on my list for a couple years.

#46 10 months ago

#47 10 months ago

I don’t do fireworks much anymore since I inherited this Winchester model 1898 signal cannon from my grandfather years ago. Fires a 10 gauge blank, and under perfect calm conditions produces a cool mushroom cloud. Nice & loud!

IMG_4291 (resized).jpegIMG_4291 (resized).jpeg
#48 10 months ago

The yearly news segments for fireworks safety are always fun.

r1L.gifr1L.gif
19
#49 10 months ago
Quoted from hAbO:

The yearly news segments for fireworks safety are always fun.
[quoted image]

That just goes to show that mannequins have no business lighting fireworks. Such a careless bunch they are!

#50 10 months ago

My son had summers off, so he worked a booth for years as a side gig in a different state. Wife would even go help for a week (more about visiting the son than selling fireworks). He really built a rapport with the customers - they came back year after year. The amount of money that is spent is mind numbing.

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