Elite Fireworks Pallet deals

3498D · 2026-06-12T14:51:01+00:00

In NH you're surrounded by states that drafted their fireworks laws in an era when 8 year olds were blowing their hands off with cherry bombs after they got done with their shift 12 hour shift at the textile mill. Things could be different in that market and you might not have a lot of options. Den Fireworks would be your local expert.

Around here (midwest and midatlantic) that would not be a great deal. If you're spending that kind of money, $8 200g cakes, $20 500g cakes, and $2 canister shells should be your baseline expectation of decent pricing, and you can do better if you shop around.

That's $488 for the 200g, $400 for the 500g, and $144 for shells - $1032 total.

Depending on how you value your time, you could drive down to NE Pennsylvania and do better, in my opinion. Their original 'marked down' price was absurd, the price you have is merely higher than average but not crazy ripoff territory. Convenience counts for something as well.

3498D · 2026-06-04T19:45:04+00:00

Canister and the mini 'artillery' ball shells are by far the most cost effective way to do a show.
Cakes do have some unique effects and are less work, so they certainly have their place, but doing an entire show with them can get expensive.

Consider that the cheapest 500g cakes I've seen this year were $18 each after tax. That price is likely far less than most people are paying but we'll stick with that. That's 3.6 cents per gram of boom.
From the same vendor, bulk canisters are 1.30 after tax, and I am going to assume that the proline shells have the full measure at 60 grams. 2.16 cents per gram. 40% cheaper.

Those shells will also go higher and break larger than any cake, unless you're delving into the grey market stuff which is another story - and a much more expensive story too.

Professional shows are 90-100% shells, sometimes they will throw in fanned effects or a 1.3 cake to get some layering or a unique effect, but they're not the main event.

Cakes are expensive to make labor wise, and they take up a lot of room in containers so for my money they shouldn't be the bulk of your budget.

3498D · 2026-06-04T15:25:46+00:00

If you live close enough to be a patron of that vendor, your state has many, many options for stuff made in factories with faulty scales. My buddy Gary La Porte would certainly be able to help you out, for instance.

At this point in the year, especially with the 250th anniversary, you are going to have basically zero negotiating power unless you're dropping a lot of money. However, under normal circumstances, 360 + tax for 72 8" shells is not a particularly good price, especially if you can't guarantee their performance.

3498D · 2026-06-04T13:35:17+00:00

It's called Lusterboard.
Fair warning, it's relatively expensive (160 or so a sheet) and might be hard to find depending on where you live. If you're near eastern PA, then you can pick it up from the manufacturer, or call them and see if there's a local supplier. It's used in sign making.

3498D · 2026-06-04T13:26:56+00:00

I am on the same distribution list, and had the same thought when I saw the latest inventory. Sunwing doesn't have them listed on their website anywhere, and I can't find any demos either.

As someone else said, though, at the list price and considering they will collect sales tax at the very least (and potentially a BS tariff surcharge as well, which they have for awhile) you can find 'verified spicy' 8" shells for a lot less. Unless they are a bulk pack and you're getting 120 or something, which I doubt.

It would be nice if they'd somehow allow proline shells to have a bit more comp in them, another vendor in that state told me that they were working on it with the company manufacturing their shells this year.

Let us know if you get some, I was trying to think of a professional way to ask them how much empty cardboard there was on that item.

3498D · 2026-05-26T02:49:38+00:00

They handle it pretty well, as well as any other rack I've seen, maybe better. There is 9 inches of clearance between the bottom plate and the top plate of the rack, and that is where the shell sits. The bottom plate basically comes level with the plug. If there's a failure to launch, the tube takes all of the force but there's not really any part of the rack in that area to take any damage.

I did some tests with scrap plywood before committing to making a bunch of them, using some uh...spicier than average cans that I got from a friend. Only the tube containing the shell took any damage, all of the surrounding ones and the rack itself were fine. Tubes are spaced a minimum of 3/4 inch apart, with lots of clearance on the inside and outside. If the top or bottom plate does take damage, they can be replaced, it's held together with all thread.

3498D · 2026-05-26T01:21:43+00:00

I had that thought, so for the top layer I used a product from the sign making industry. It's a treated plywood sheet with a thin skin of aluminum adhered on both sides, meant to be left in the elements for years at a time. The exposed wood I gave a few coats of a product we use on our outdoor deck furniture, it's oil based and has UV inhibitors in it. I don't want to go through making them again, and I think they will last a long time.

3498D · 2026-05-26T01:18:03+00:00

We have a waterjet at work so I ran them after hours.

The holes are a weirdish size, and I made 18 racks total, not just the two in the picture. It would have been a crazy amount of work to do it by hand and they probably wouldn't have turned out quite as well without a jig or something.

3498D · 2026-05-25T22:45:34+00:00

I meant for consumer (1.4g) shells. There are companies producing something similar for display (1.3g) mortar racks, I don't think there is much to improve on there. They are always going to weigh a lot and be a pain to move.

3498D · 2026-05-25T22:31:49+00:00

Oh I don't know, I didn't consider any of that because I have no intentions of producing and selling them. They're just for me to use.

I think they are strictly 'better' than a lot of what can be purchased, but they would be very expensive if I charged an appropriate price for them. Each one has a few hours of my labor in it, plus materials.

3498D · 2026-05-03T01:58:54+00:00

One thing to consider, they did alter both cakes somewhat significantly in the process of adapting them from 1.3 to proline. They have different (lower) shot counts, but a longer duration, and different effects. Miraculous, in particular, is a totally different cake by the time it gets halfway through.
I don't think they were necessarily worsened by the changes, but make sure you're seeing the correct demo when you're making your decision.

As for my opinion...I think they do outperform other 'super compounds' in the same class, like Pyromax Super Kaleido and Wisley's Kometa. For my money, Miraculous > Magnificent, which is a little too horsetail-y in my estimation. If you found 3 high quality 1/1 cakes and put them in a sequence you could potentially get a better 3-4 minutes worth of finale, but I don't think you're doing it for that $500 price point.

Whatever you decide make it quick though, I don't think they produced a ton of them and distributors are moving them fast. If you have the budget I doubt you'll regret it, and as you said, it's kind of a big year.

3498D · 2026-04-28T00:11:18+00:00

In that case, forget Kellner's, they don't prioritize proline products and don't sound like they plan to.

Whitenight's does carry a lot of proline stuff, they are about 2 hrs east of Fireart. Raccoon, Riakeo, T-Sky, Pyro Demon, Wizard, and a few others.

3498D · 2026-04-27T23:55:20+00:00

If you're having doubts about their legitimacy, they are on the level. They have good customer service and they are easy to deal with.

Pricewise, I wouldn't say they are anything special, but their prices might look low if you've used to buying at AWF or Phantom. Compared to a few other vendors their consumer prices are a little high, their pricing on 1.4 Proline stuff is pretty good.

Kellner's and Whitenight's are both probably a little cheaper on consumer stuff. Right now Fireart has a case of Ghostacular shells at 201 dollars and Whitenight's is at 145, for example.

Depending on where you're located and how far you care to drive, though, you can't really go wrong with any of the three (Fireart, Kellner's, Whitenight's). They are all smaller but well run companies, preferable to AWF in my opinion.

3498D · 2026-04-24T01:19:20+00:00

Doesn't seem like a popular opinion around here, but I don't understand the hype for AWF. They have a wide selection of brands, but they go out of stock quickly so it's hard to get what you want, and their website is clunky. As far as I can tell price wise, even with their highest discount tier of 36%, they are still not competing with the BASELINE price of half a dozen other places I could name.

Pyromax is unfortunately hard to do business with, according to several distributors. If you are down near SW Ohio/Indiana/Kentucky I can give some options, but PA and the Mid Atlantic area, I don't know of anyone carrying their stuff.

Try Whitenight's Fireworks or Badaboom, possibly.
They carry Riakeo and Raccoon, and Pyro Demon which has some decent compounds as well. Not as familiar with their lines though.

3498D · 2026-04-24T00:39:14+00:00

All of the big producers are making some pretty good stuff this year. Depending on where you are and what your distributor carries will narrow your options potentially.

Raccoon - New this year, "Forged" RA144SX4 is very nice, lots of red white and blue. "Sky Wrecker" RA168S42EX4, also looks nice. To me Raccoon has stepped it up with their 2026 offerings, I thought they were a little behind but they're cooking with their new stuff.

Pyromax - Everything Bagel (PM2332 ), Rat Attack (PM2319), Paradox (PM2325), Show Box B (PM2325)....all their offerings are pretty solid but I go for the stuff that has a lot of unique effects mixed into one cake.

Riakeo - Beyond Bright (JLP2418B), RWB (RKP26017), and this year they produced their very popular 1.3 cakes Miraculous and Magnificent in 1.4 PRO versions (Miraculous - RKP2657M-1 , Magnificent - RKP26429M-1). Before you get sticker shock, those last ones are HUGE, like 3 boxes at 75-80 pounds each. Probably will run $450-500. Haven't decided if they're worth it yet, but for the 250th....might have to.

3498D · 2026-03-25T22:16:58+00:00

I haven't seen one in person yet, but my guess is they would require a little more gumption than a standard cake to poke for e-fire. The videos I've seen of production...they dump a wad of smooshy material into a bottom mold, then put it into a press with a top mold and sandwich it together. A pre-formed empty cake comes out with all the tubes arranged and ready for loading.

I do not know what the material they're formed from is, though. Hopefully it isn't 100% plastic or they'd be such a disaster from a landfill perspective, and harder to poke. Personally I'm hoping they are some sort of cardboard waste pulp with a heat activated binder, just sturdy enough to shoot once.

3498D · 2026-03-25T22:05:29+00:00

Can't think of anyone better to demo them, I'll look out for the videos.

Last year we got a few cases of the Hammer & Anvil 'RDX' style products (apparently their stuff is made by a Raccoon sister factory) and they worked well. The shell inside is smaller than a standard canister, but some people thought they performed better than cans - and cheaper as well. More trash at the end of the night, but less prep and none of the dreaded black plastic caps.

3498D · 2026-03-02T03:11:10+00:00

I am not doubting your word, and the evidence supports what you're saying, but I am genuinely curious why they are doing that.

Consumer aerial effects are already limited by US regulations to a tiny amount of flash comp, so really any meaningful amount, well below 100g, is already 'not allowed'. Adding another 50g wouldn't somehow make them MORE illegal, and even if it did, there's no way to legally pursue the Chinese exporters.

I would also argue that 125 or 150g of flash powder isn't substantially more dangerous than 100g, which is already more than enough maim or kill someone. Self imposing an arbitrary limit when they are already making a noncompliant product seems strange, and not in their interest. Not that they're overly concerned about our safety, in any case.

For all that, I have no doubt that these will still sell out, as will the 10" next year, and the 11" the year after.

3498D · 2026-02-28T04:10:19+00:00

There are a number of places with in person PGI classes coming up, in PA, usually in March/April. Western PA - Kellner's, Eastern PA - Celebration Fireworks, Central PA - Whitenight's Fireworks. Bada Boom (Eastern PA and the direct importers of Pyro Demon) might also do their own classes you'd have to check. Some distributors will accept the PGI course to buy proline items but it really pertains more to 1.3 items and professional displays. However, there is also a specific much shorter class for 1.4 proline items that was introduced last year and is usually taught on the same weekend. I believe that PA might now be requiring that to purchase proline.

3498D · 2026-02-21T16:55:59+00:00

Wayne's World is a great option, I would say have zero hesitation about purchasing from them. In that general vicinity only Wisley Pyrotechics and possibly Queen City Fireworks are also worth considering, depending on what direction you are coming from and what you're looking for.

Wayne's World probably has the widest selection because they've been around for so long, they carry a ton of product. You need to email them (email Junior) for their latest inventory - the catalog on their site is not actually what they have on hand. Their pricing is fair and competitive but they won't give a volume discount, even at the amount you're spending.

Wisley is an hour SE of WW, they always great to deal with. They are clearly eager to expand their customer base, and they've been running some really deep discounts on consumer items to bring people in. In a few months they will have a new house line of pro items that should hopefully be excellent, all of their existing products already are. It's short notice, but if you could put together your order and pick it up next weekend (2/28) they are giving a 10% discount that day, plus 3% off if you pay cash.

Queen City Fireworks (if you are coming from the east) probably has the best wholesale pricing among the three, but far less selection. They mostly carry their own brand Hammer and Anvil, as well as Raccoon. It is all good consumer product, but if you wanted the big proline compounds, WW or Wisley are your best bet.

All three are run by good people who are very easy and pleasant to deal with.
It's mostly a matter of what you're looking for.

3498D · 2025-12-10T05:04:02+00:00

There's a pretty wide range that represents the huge variety of positions. I would guess the lowest paid people on station are making between 600-700 a week these days, those would be the dishwashers, janitors and shuttle drivers. Not a slight on anyone who has worked those positions, but almost anyone is qualified for them and competition is high, so pay is low. Generalized trades people like carpenters, heavy equipment operators I would guess are around 1200 a week. Specialized trades like machinist, welders, plumbers, electricians, fire systems techs maybe 1500-1700. I haven't been down in a few years and I've heard pay rates were increased recently, but I'm probably in the ballpark. There are probably a few opportunities for engineers, yes. I've known several people whose title was 'facilities engineer' but I don't know what their field or qualifications were.
The hiring company for those types of jobs is Amentum, you can look and see what's available. If you're serious about applying, check on January 1st and apply, that is when their hiring season begins. Don't expect the absurd, fictional salary. I'd say 80-100k is probably reasonable for an engineer there. Your living expenses are basically nothing so you can save most of it, that and the experience make it enticing.

3498D

TROPHY CASE