The genius of fireworks distributors
An article written in the Trenton Times by Darryl Isherwood on 06.07 talks about fireworks laws in Pennsylvania. Get this: it is legal for fireworks distributors in Pennsylvania to sell their stuff to anyone who can prove they live in another state. It's illegal to USE fireworks in Pennsylvania. So it's no accident that major distributors line up their outlets along the borders. Sky King Fireworks (pictured) is in Portland, Easton, and Morrisville to "service" New Jersey; they're in Erie and Hillsville to do Ohio to the west. Spartan Fireworks (also pictured) similarly has a location near the New Jersey border and a couple near Maryland.But the fireworks are illegal in New Jersey too! So my well-meaning but shady neighbors, who want sparklers to entertain the grandkids on the Fourth, can't buy 'em here in NJ, and must go across the border to Morrisville and smuggle the booty back in. I read the article on the Times on Wednesday, went to work, then came home to find big old ads from Sky King and Spartan (both mentioned in the article and contributors of the images used here :-)).
I gotta tell ya, this is no way to run a business. The guys who run these distributorships must know their markets are living on borrowed time under this setup. Even if NJ and PA don't work together to lower the boom on fireworks through law, you can't market to an only out-of-state audience indefinitely unless the bulk of your sales are online and through the mail. Sky King and Spartan, at least, don't sell that way. And no wonder: in most states, you can't BUY 'em that way.
Labels: rhetoric
posted by Ron @ 7:32 PM
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4 Comments:
This whole fireworks ordeal is a bunch of bullshit. It doesn't make sense to be able to buy out of state but not in state when they are illegal in both places. I buy mine in Maryland about an hour and half drive instead of a five minute drive to Morrisville all because I live in Pennsylvania. What the hell is the difference. If distributors were selling to legal customers, places that can use fireworks, it would make sense, but that is not the case.
It is now ILLEAGAL TO SHIP ANY FIREWORKS! I checked all the websites.They are forbidden to ship UPS,FEDEX, US MAIL ETC!!!!You Now must spend your money on high gas prices and drive to another state! This country SUCKS, JUST LIKE BUSH!!!!
I agree with both of you on this topic. I am a NJ resident and don't understand this bullshit law. Plus many towns in jersey warn you after firing them and don't ever give a ticket, which is always good. Many people with farms, Yes farms in Jersey, its rare but they do exist. Can shoot off fireworks without being bothered by the cops. This country has turned to shit in regards to a persons rights. Many southern states allow their residents to carry guns or have lax gun permits but fireworks are a more serious 0ffense than guns. It is sad that a person has to sneak stuff across state lines for fun. In my opinion fireworks are not assault weapons, drugs, or any other severe object that has the ability to kill. towns and cities should worry more about their crime rates and taxes and other things of interest than a citizin who wants to light off a bottle rocket. It is easy to make this legal for residents, has long as their is an age, room to shoot (like a gun) and safety measures in place. Unfortunately many states would rather have fireworks shown by their behalf to gain profit and to have control over the area that is displayed. towns that have fireworks pay police in NJ to safe guard the crowd and cities plus casinos do the same therefore it is more profitable even in a miniscule way, thats why banishment is necessary for them. fortunately they fall short on enforcement, just like anything. Jersey cant control their 7 million citizens.
I work for Spartan fireworks and I can explain the reason behind the law for you. People are stupid, they misuse fireworks and get injured, once injured they sue the firework company/state for their own stupidity. Thus laws were passed to prohibit the selling of fireworks in certain areas. Now that there are dry spots, some wise business men seek to capitalize. They hire lawyers to negotiate with law makers to find something they can both agree on. And in the northeastern states those laws are that one cannot purchase fireworks in his/her own state, unless they have a fireworks permit (Hard to obtain but not immpossible). Some states get to sell fireworks, others opt out. The legality is different in every state and changes often. Currently in PA anything that goes 25ft in the air or more is illegal, NJ only allows novelties, and DE allows nothing. Back to the point, by making someone cross state lines to purchase fireworks, they're going to have to cross back to get home, right? And when they cross back they are removing liability from the state they bought the contraband in, and the store it came from.
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