What’s the one firework product you wish stores carried but never seem to stock?

[Tina Chen]

#6039

Every year I walk into the tent or store and it’s the same 200g cakes and the same assortment boxes. Like, don’t get me wrong – some of the 500g stuff is great – but where are the good 200g single-effect items? Zippers, crossettes, horsetails… the stuff that actually looks different in a show.

I feel like every retailer just stocks what sells fast and ignores the interesting things. Anyone know if this is a manufacturer thing or just stores playing it safe?

[Jim Hawkins]

#6042

Dude I’d kill for a solid 200g zipper cake that isn’t the same generic red/green/gold combo every brand does. There’s gotta be like 3 manufacturers in China that actually make interesting small effects and none of them get imported here.

Part of it is the retailers – they buy what moves. But tbh the importers play it super safe too. Nobody wants to sit on a container of weird niche stuff that might not sell.

[Steve Kline]

#6043

This is why I started going to demo nights at the bigger distributors. You actually get to see the niche stuff that never makes it to the retail tents. Last year there was this sick 200g strobe-to-willow cake i’d never seen anywhere else.

Honestly if you want the interesting effects you kinda have to go up to the 500g and 1.4G pro line stuff. That’s where manufacturers actually put their R&D. The 200g category is basically an afterthought for most brands now.

[Lisa Martinez]

#6068

I’d kill for someone to carry those 200g Z-shaped cakes that shoot the little comets in sequence. Saw one at a club shoot a few years back and I haven’t seen em in stores since. Everyone just stocks the same 9-shot rectangle boxes.

Also where’s all the good mines at? Like the ones that actually BOOM and not just go “pfft.” Seems like stores only carry the super tame stuff now.

[Author]

Posts