Current Events > I've ran a fireworks store for a decade that makes about a million/year in sales

(+) Yeah! (+)

Seems to be a lot of drama about fireworks being shot in abundance since the nationwide lockdown has slowed down. New York City in particular has had multiple news articles complaining about it. My store is moving shit at close to 5 year high while true majority of out customers are from New York despite being located hours away in NEPA.

So what do you people want to know about fireworks?

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Who is buying all these fireworks?

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How do they make the designs that you see during festivals?

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Do you have buy one get nine free deals?

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Why are you lying?

We all know the govt is supplying them as a psyop.

How much are you being paid off?

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What % of your sales is for/around 4th of July?

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Alteres posted...

Why are you lying?

We all know the govt is supplying them as a psyop.

How much are you being paid off?

As a huge socialist but a massive fan of comedy and irony I somewhat love the fact that sell people a product that is way overpriced that they are going to light on fire for a half hour of drunken excitement.

But we do get a large number of former service people and cops who buy our product. We also give them a 10% discount, but as someone who worked in fastfood in high school at least they sent demanding free shit

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MFBKBass5 posted...

Who is buying all these fireworks?

This year specifically almost every town, regardless of size, has cancelled their local events. We have so many first time buyers this year who will drop an easy $400 on mortars and cakes to entertain their own family

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On that note, the restaurant I managed for a bit over 5 years gave cops free food and drinks. So they would hang around and we wouldn't get trouble from the drunken college kids.

Those fuckers never tipped.

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Feline_Heart posted...

How do they make the designs that you see during festivals?

That's class B product, which is basically professional based you see st ballgames or like you said, festivals and stuff. I sell only consumer level product, which basically means the flash and gun powder are less and the shell size is smaller.

I haven't been to factories in China yet, and doubt we'll go back out anytime soon, but the company I work for has a direct deal with Black Cat Fireworks and the people higher up the chain than me go out there

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I think in regards to what has been happening in NYC is the NYPD and NYFD seem to be complacent in what is a blatant violation on so many levels.
This coming just weeks after they were beating the shit out of people and driving service vehicles into crowds.
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Jabodie posted...

Do you have buy one get nine free deals?

Haha fuck those store that pull that. A 500 gram repeater cake shouldn't cost more than $45. Any more and you're getting ripped off even if Phantom or euchre does 2 or 3 for 1

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How much do you spend on buying product in a year / what kind of profits os that?

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What is your markup? Average transaction? Any horror stories/accidents?

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NEPA like by Binghamton?

How did you get into the business and what was your initial investment?

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TreyFlowers posted...

What % of your sales is for/around 4th of July?

The week of the 4th is around 80% of our business. We'll sit on product for years that won't sell aside from the last week. People will just buy anything you tell them as long as the sales pitch is good enough. Basically what I tell all new hires is that they are selling something to most people who don't know and just want to give you their money.

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Flockaveli posted...

What is your markup? Average transaction? Any horror stories/accidents?

Depends on cost. Usually around 3 times what it costs to bring in. Like roughly $200, but I've seen up to $50,000 or so, paid by credit. Not much horror stories aside from kicking drunk assholes out and the time I watched a dude drop a bag of meth on the ground grabbing his wallet on July 2nd which I quickly picked up and flushed. And then watched them test their van a part and yell at another

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_Squirtle_ posted...

How much do you spend on buying product in a year / what kind of profits os that?

After shipping, and about half our inventory comes directly from China, like $300,000. And like 3 times depending on the year

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archedsoul posted...

NEPA like by Binghamton?

How did you get into the business and what was your initial investment?

Yes exactly like that.

Part time summer job after I graduated that turned into making more than I would have pursuing what I went to school for. No investment early on but involved later

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you sound pretty jaded about the whole purpose of fireworks, do you ever use them yourself for entertainment or does working in a store like that make them just seem too mundane

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kirbymuncher posted...

you sound pretty jaded about the whole purpose of fireworks, do you ever use them yourself for entertainment or does working in a store like that make them just seem too mundane

I've grown to actively despise them. I was probably average about them prior to starting my job but it's just a lot of nonsense about something that is actively the equivalent to lighting your money on fire. Not to mention the plethora of people who basically buy to flip it who always want to haggle with cost despite the fact they are illegally selling fireworks for way more than we charged them.

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The Great Muta 22 posted...

I've grown to actively despise them. I was probably average about them prior to starting my job but it's just a lot of nonsense about something that is actively the equivalent to lighting your money on fire. Not to mention the plethora of people who basically buy to flip it who always want to haggle with cost despite the fact they are illegally selling fireworks for way more than we charged them.

I additionally hate the trend of setting them to music....Like how ADHD can you be?!?
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SiO4 posted...

I additionally hate the trend of setting them to music....Like how ADHD can you be?!?

If it's something the star spangled banner or whatever I don't see a big deal.

Otherwise leave it to the live performance pyrotechnics.

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Tyranthraxus posted...

If it's something the star spangled banner or whatever I don't see a big deal.

Otherwise leave it to the live performance pyrotechnics.

I just find it over the top and too dramatic...Like Disney's level of overproduction.
Like, stop trying to spoon-feed us all.
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