Get more ‘bang’ for your money this Fourth of July

Fireworks have long been a symbol of celebration for the Fourth of July. Whether you cling to traditional sparklers, bottle rockets and firecrackers for your amusement or enjoy the newer daytime fireworks and high tech items, Jeff Martin, owner of Southern Candy Kitchen in Hartsville, has them all.

Due to the economic recession, Martin said people are looking to spend less on fireworks this year, so he is making available a wide price range and assortment of items.

Martin said, “We sell fireworks all year long, and we have fireworks that are popular for all ages.”

A person has to be at least 14 years of age to purchase fireworks, Martin said.

“We also sell American flags and patriotic T-shirts,” Martin added.

Some of the most popular fireworks, according to Martin, are the bottle rockets, artillery shells, Roman candles (that fire off 12 to 300 shots) and firecrackers (including single shot firecrackers), big M-60s and packs with up to 30,000 shots.
 
Roman candles, according to Martin, have become safer to use with hand-held versions available. Sparklers range from a traditional small size to giant, three-foot-tall burners. Morning glories are sparklers with a little something extra.

Daytime fireworks are becoming increasingly popular, said Martin. These are fireworks that explode streamers into the air.

There are fountain fireworks that produce a shower of bright white. These shoot up about 20 feet, Martin said, and are better for areas where there are a lot of trees.

“Of course, we have smoke bombs, which are popular with the kids,” Martin said. And he said they sell the poppers to throw on the ground that make noise but don’t emit fire, which are popular with the younger children.

Martin said the Candy Kitchen sells a lot of trays, which are an assortment of fireworks packaged together that range in price from $5.95 to $499.