For the folks at Phantom Fireworks, it's the most wonderful time of the year.
"This is when it all happens. We work 11 months a year to operate our business for one good month," says Bill Weimer, Vice President of Phantom Fireworks. And even in a rebounding economy, Weimer says sales are shooting through the roof. "We're finding a lot more people staying home, going to spend their money on smaller expenditures around the house, including fireworks, as opposed to those big-ticket vacations," says Weimer.
From a package of sparklers, to an entire trash can full of fireworks, and everything in between, most families have budgeted for a big Fourth of July blow-out.
"We saved for this day, cause we knew it was coming, and we have the grandkids over every Fourth of July, and we're trying to do a little something bigger than we did last year. Kinda spoil them, you know," says the Gilford Family of Youngstown.
"Can't beat it. Buy one, get two free. We are definitely going to go with these...," says the Martin family of Youngstown. Adding that they can't put a price tag on their family fireworks tradition. "It's something for the kids. They enjoy it, you know. I like them to have their little fun, you know," says Richard Martin.
With a little less than a week until the fourth, people from Painesville to Pennsylvania are throwing down their hard-earned dollars in the name of family fun.
"I got just over $400...Just a back-yard barbecue and a family get together," says Eric Goodwill of Pennsylvania.
And while sales are up, the number of fireworks-related injuries is down and Phantom wants to keep it that way. "You're not going to have fun if you get hurt, so we ask everybody to follow the rules," says Weimer.
