Fireworks stands

[hutash]

Kinda ironic, as I think my employment next summer will either be wildland firefighting or selling fireworks.

Do it, it's brilliant business strategy, start fires and put them out, get in on aircraft lease, and retardant sales and you have the whole market top to bottom.

Here in California all the stands (what is left after all the bans) are run by non-profits.

[Chainsaw_Willie]

Here in WA it's a hodge-podge of laws. Each city and county have their own regulations, and most cities are leaning towards banning them altogether. I live right on the city/county border so there are quite a few stands within a mile or so of me since fireworks are legal in King Co., just not in Seattle.

The feds have really cracked down on the Indians in recent years. Used to be you could get M-80s, cherry bombs, 2" firecrackers and all kinds of other good stuff from the Indians but not any more. The Skokomish Indians down on Hood Canal even used to have signs up all along the highway "M-100s! Cherry Bombs!" etc. etc. but they took them all down a few years ago.

Last night on "Washington's Most Wanted" they had a segment on illegal fireworks. Showed the ATF and State Patrol explaining illegal fireworks and lighting a few of them off. Now I know what to look for!

[Art Shirk]

I came just for the Joe Dirt clip.

And I buy from Ill Eagle fireworks off River Road, just gotta know the right lingo. Then I proceed to Maple Valley for unfettered pyrotardation.

[nickwm21]

Battle Mountain Nevada - Two competing warehouse sized fireworks depots, a gas station, and McD's.

One of the best city's on earth!

[doughboyshredder]

Here in WA it's a hodge-podge of laws. Each city and county have their own regulations, and most cities are leaning towards banning them altogether. I live right on the city/county border so there are quite a few stands within a mile or so of me since fireworks are legal in King Co., just not in Seattle.

The feds have really cracked down on the Indians in recent years. Used to be you could get M-80s, cherry bombs, 2" firecrackers and all kinds of other good stuff from the Indians but not any more. The Skokomish Indians down on Hood Canal even used to have signs up all along the highway "M-100s! Cherry Bombs!" etc. etc. but they took them all down a few years ago.

Last night on "Washington's Most Wanted" they had a segment on illegal fireworks. Showed the ATF and State Patrol explaining illegal fireworks and lighting a few of them off. Now I know what to look for!

Real fireworks are illegal in Washington State.

Remember, if it has a stick or fins and it goes up or if it blows up, it is illegal in Washington State.

Which doesn't keep anyone from blowing lots of shit up in North Bend, which actually pisses me off. My neighborhood turns in to a war zone, and the cops refuse to do a damn thing about it. My neighbor across the street puts on a huge production with mortars galore. I can't leave town, due to the risk of my house burning down, and staying here is traumatic for one of my dogs. I dose him out on allergy meds so he is too zoned to get ridiculously freaked out, but it still sucks. Last year they were lighting bottle rockets off until almost 2 in the morning.

[mtngirl79]

I kind of hate fireworks, too... I don't mind them 4th of July.. as it starts to get dark, until the party is over.. what I hate is the week before and the week after war zone...

I had some issues with neighbors shooting them off into my pasture when I had horses... its one thing to lock them up in a stall with loud music to drown it out on the 4th, but for a whole week before and after?

Aren't fireworks expensive? I never understood how people could afford so many...

[jgb@etree]

Haven't read anything in the thread yet, but if you've got a good hookup, there is a ton of cash to be made. Not sure when, but at some point in the past 15 years, 'fireworks' became legal in CT. When I was 16, they were not. When I was a kid, only sparklers were legal - and only the crappy ones. Oh yeah, those carbon snakes too....

So one summer I when I'm headed into queens to visit a friendly bodega, I meet a dude flipping fireworks. He had these 'New Yorker' sets that had some mortars, roman candles, 16oz bottle rockets, etc, etc. They'd sell for $100 and he offered me 10 for 350. I bought them, and sold them all that afternoon. Went back for 30 the next day. The following week, I went back with a buddy and a cargo van. Made some pretty serious cash for a 16yo that summer.

That said, it's all about supply & demand. Now that fireworks are legal in CT I'd imagine the profit margins are down considerably.

[liv2ski]

Reminds me of when we were down in Baja one 4th of July at Baja Malibu for a week. Drove up to Rosorito Beach with my oldest daughter (was about 7 at the time) and walked into one of the little stores on the main drag and asked for fireworks. Lady looks us over, waves for us to follow her and lifts a blanket on the wall hiding another room just full of anything you could imagine. We bought a bunch of sky rockets. First one I shoot off the deck goes full Scud Missile on some people on the beach, nearly hitting them. So I found a 6 foot section of 4 inch PVC pipe to launch them out of. Was a pretty damn fun time. My kids still remember the scud sky rockets, as a few of them went off course.

[Crampedon]

When I was a kid in the 60's we would by m-80's and cherry bombs, REAL ones, from a guy sold him out of his back bedroom window at night.

We got caught, we always, always said we got them from a guy in a white Volkswagon.

What do you drive?

[leroy jenkins]

When I was a kid in the 60's we would by m-80's and cherry bombs, REAL ones, from a guy sold him out of his back bedroom window at night.

We got caught, we always, always said we got them from a guy in a white Volkswagon.

What do you drive?

A white subaru, which is kinda the modern day version of what a volkswagen was back then.

[RockChalk]

when i was <6 yrs old my uncle, who was the fire marshall of Glenn county CA, used to send me up to the local fireworks stands to buy piccolo petes or whatever else was the en vogue whitetrash sparkler of choice that year and bust whoever would sell to me...it happened more than you would think (selling to me).

fond memories....that and the time he let me light up his beretta 9mm, also well under double-digit age at that point. what a freak that guy was in retrospect.

[TBS]

I was telling my wife yesterday that a few teenagers with Molotov cocktails tossed into the tents followed by gasoline-filled paintballs could result in one hell of a fireworks show if they were so inclined.

Or like our neighbors about 10 years ago. Oregon is very strict about fireworks. Neighbor's Dad went to the rez and bought a bunch (I think he said $500 worth) of rockets and explosives.

I was sitting on the front steps with a beer watching a nice sunset. Neighbor set the box of stuff down in the yard, pulled out a rocket, and had his littlest kid light it off. When it launched the kid jumped back and kind of threw the punk...which landed in the box!

There followed a really cool display of large and small rockets and mortars firing in all directions & angles (ala liv2ski's Baja scud experience), packs of bottle rockets shooting around in some wild trajectories while they lit off from each other, firecrackers and m80's going off, sparklers sparkling, etc - for about 30 seconds.

Then the smoke cloud cleared. The scene was a burning cardboard box, four crying kids, a sheepish father, a mega-pissed off mother who didn't know about Hubby's purchase, some unhappy neighbors worried about their cedar shake roofs, and me shooting beer out my nose and choking with laughter.

When I could breathe again, I checked my roof and sort of policed the area - there were spent missile bodies for 100 yards in every direction. Found and returned about 25 unfired bottle rockets, but they didn't seem interested in fireworks anymore. So my kids and I shot them off.

[PassTheDutchie]

Alas, clip doesn't include Marge's, "Homer, I don't know what you've got planned for tonight, but count me out," as she unpacks the various items from the bag...

[BmillsSkier]

Leroy, take a trip to Jellico, TN for all the fireworks schoolin' you need.

3 or 4 massive fireworks warehouses a BP/Dairy Queen/Wendy's combo. Hillbilly heaven.


Growing up it was nice knowing the sons of this Italian family who owns americanfireworks More trouble than you could shake a stick at.

Good luck with your stand.

[Harry]

Bumping this old thread because the worlds best fireworks stand, BIG BAD ASS FIREWORKS near Gallatin Gateway, Montana, opens back up on June 24th.

[SkiBall]

Do they sell snakes n sparklers?

[BmillsSkier]

Do they sell snakes n sparklers?

The good stuff.



I listen to a lot of out of town radio on apps like iheartradio or radio.com and am usually treated to a mix of local advertising and ads from the market I'm listening to.

For some reason the last week I've been just bombarded by this spot for "Fireworks of the Poconos! ONLY 75 MINUTES FROM THE GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE!!!!!"

A) I'm not listening to Greater NYC radio

2) How is a 75 minute drive a marketing point for fireworks?

iii) Has anyone been and is it really worth the 13 hour drive for me?

[Harry]

Do they sell snakes n sparklers?

Of course. With a name like BIG BAD ASS FIREWORKS you can be assured they have only the finest snakes and sparklers. Plus M-80's, mortars, and rockets of all sizes.

[nickwm21]

Has anybody else been to that fireworks warehouse in Battle Mtn, NV?


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[SkiBall]

Used to go to the beach and go crazy with it. Living in the mountains, I would just feel dirty trying to set anything off.
But man I loved me some M80's and the occasional M1000...feel it before you hear it.

[old goat]

One of my favorite artists.

Bumped in appreciation. He's playing in Reno on the 1st. Free.

[JongDoe]

Come down to the Lone Star State...we'll hook you up good

i visited my brother outside Austin last year and there were stands all over that advertised "buy 1 get 5 free". I got a laugh out of that.

[SB]

I used to love fireworks, especially the professional shows.

Nowadays its just idiots playing with explosives and potentially setting fires.

Penciltucky makes it legal to sell them but illegal to set them off or even own them if you are a resident.

[DBdude]

Bumping this old thread because the worlds best fireworks stand, BIG BAD ASS FIREWORKS near Gallatin Gateway, Montana, opens back up on June 24th.

Nuke this thread bobby!


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[JongDoe]

I used to love fireworks, especially the professional shows.

Nowadays its just idiots playing with explosives and potentially setting fires.

Penciltucky makes it legal to sell them but illegal to set them off or even own them if you are a resident.

Wait, what?????