Fireworks.org – The World’s Fireworks Community › Forums › General Discussion › What’s everyone doing with their leftover 4th of July inventory? Store, sell, or just shoot em?
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Alright so now that the 4th is behind us (and honestly it was a crazy one with the 250th and all), I’m looking at what I have left over. Probably shot about 60% of what I bought but I’ve still got maybe $200-300 worth of cakes and rockets sitting in my garage.
My problem is I always buy too much because I get hyped at the store, then the 4th comes and goes and I’m left with all this stuff. I don’t really have another occasion to use them until Labor Day at the earliest, and that’s still like 6 weeks away.
What do you guys normally do with leftovers? You just store em for next year? try to sell em to friends? Or do y’all just go out to the countryside on a random weekend and light em off for fun?
Also side question – how long do fireworks actually last if stored properly? Like can I keep these cakes for next July 4th or do they degrade?
lol I’m in the same boat man. Bought maybe $800 worth of stuff for the 250th and probably shot like $500 of it. Got $300 of cakes just sitting in my garage taunting me.
I usually just save em for Labor Day and maybe a couple random cookouts. But tbh I’ve also had stuff from two years ago that I found in the back of my shed and it still shot fine. As long as they stay dry and not in direct sun, they last years.
If you really wanna get rid of em, just have a random fireworks party. Tell your friends to bring beer and you provide the show. That’s what I do.
I always hold onto leftovers for New Years. But I learned the hard way – check every cake tube for moisture before storage. Had a cake that looked fine on the outside but the lift was compromised from humidity. Shot maybe 30ft. Scared the hell out of everyone. Now I keep them in a controlled room with a dehumidifier. I never sell leftover consumer stuff, it’s just not worth the liability.
Jim – to answer your storage question: if you keep them in a cool, dry place, consumer fireworks will last years. I’ve shot cakes that were 3-4 years old and they worked fine. The key is moisture and temperature swings. Don’t keep em in a garage that hits 120 degrees in summer – that’s gonna degrade the lift charge over time.
My rule of thumb is if the garage gets above 100, I move em into the basement or a climate-controlled closet. I’ve got cakes from 2022 that still perform like new.
As for what to do with leftovers – I say just shoot em on Labor Day. That’s what I do. Buy extra for the 4th, keep what’s left for Labor Day, then start fresh next season. Way better than letting em sit around for a year.
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