tips for anyone buying fireworks for the 4th

I have been in the fireworks business for 25+ years, I do shows, managed a wholesale company, and run my own small store.
I have some tips to keep you from being ripped off.
I posted something similar to this last year.

The average markup on fireworks is over 500% for bigger items. Smaller items such as smoke balls, novelties and smaller rockets 2000%
Bigger items have much less markup than smaller ones.

Fireworks are one of the few things that are cheaper at smaller independently owned stores.
Stay away from Phantom, TNT, Fireworks Supermarket, and any larger chain stores. They have to pay their bills for staying open all year with the sales mostly from the 4th and some on New Years.

Stick with the seasonal stores, they do not have crazy bills and are mostly people looking to make some extra cash or raise funds for something like a church.

Stores on main highways around tourist towns like Myrtle Beach, or Gatlinburg nothing will be under 500% markup.

Best deals are the night of the 4th or the day after. Most places do not have proper storage and would rather sell at cost than have to return it to a wholesaler who will charge 15-20% restock fee and only take unopened cases.

Cash talks at those stores where a few cash transactions that do not get added to the nights sales helps on the taxes as well as lot fees at tents where the fireworks people pay the land owner a portion of their sales as rent.


Most big name brand fireworks are identical to some smaller less known brand. I have pulled labels off items only to find the original item label underneath. Black Cat and TNT brands are 2 that are the most well known and worst preforming items. I never buy, sell or shoot any Black Cat or TNT items.
World class, Winda and Megabanger are some of the best well known brands, but there are tons of smaller brands that are just as good or better.

Your best bang for the buck are the 500gram heavyweight boxes with between 9 and 25 shots. The fewer the shots the bigger they are because there are limits on the amount of powder in one.
NEVER buy one that is a 9 shot "3 inch" box because it is a ripoff. The tube is 3 inches but the actual shell is only 2 inches with a sleeve around it. 2 inch diameter shells are the largest allowed for sale in the U.S.

Reloadable kits are nice but you will get tired of shooting them if you have lots. If you buy them the 60 gram canister shells are the best shot. Stick with something like Excalibur shells which are top dog for reloadable. Never buy reloadable shells with more than 2 breaks. No matter how many breaks a shell has the max amount of powder that can be in them is 60 grams. So you get a very nice single or double break or crappy weak 3 to 5 breaks. In addition on the 5 break shells the 5th break will likely be very low and could start a fire or hurt someone.

Rockets are dangerous and have a huge markup.

Roman candles are not as good as they once were. and they have a huge markup. a 6 pack of 10 ball roman candles may sell for between $5 and $10 but they cost less than $0.75 wholesale.

Firecrackers are something that is not as good as they were 20 years ago. If you want firecrackers, stick with the normal firecrackers, do not fall for the big M-80 looking red tube crackers. They are nothing but a single firecracker packed in a fancy tube and better fuse and marked up 1000% or more.

Assortments are rip offs, they may have a few good items but they are loaded with things that do not sell very well or are not very good. If you add the prices up on the things in the assortments, you will find that you are paying more than if you bought each thing off the shelf.

The large 150 to 200 shot Zipper cakes are pretty but not worth the cost, retail on them will never be under $50 with most being well over $100 at the cheapest stores. They are normally fast shots, so you are looking at $50-$150 go in less than 30 seconds.

Buy one get one free sales are for suckers you are not getting anything free, they marked those items up to double or more of what they would sell for without the sale.

The spend $$$ and get $$$ free is a ripoff also.
Most the times the free stuff is items that do not sell very good or and bad performers when shot. Plus I guarantee you paid for those "free".

If you spend a lot of cash at a small mom and pop store and they quietly tell you that they have some good stuff in back, chances are they do but it will cost you. Never buy something that looks home made. You will lose a finger or hand.