Hankal sets up his first fireworks stand
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But David has never opened a fireworks stand. And he says that’s something he’s always wanted to try.
So this year, he did just that. David took his business, Hankal’s Plumbing and Appliance, and turned the front porch into a fireworks stand. He’s had items on display since June 20, the first day firework stands are allowed under Tennessee law. He’ll continue selling until July 5, the day the law tells him he must quit.
“We haven’t sold much of anything yet, hardly anything at all,” said David. “But they tell me that’s normal. People I’ve talked to say you don’t really get busy until the week of the 4th. And they say the day of the 4th is when you do most of your business.”
David has got just about everything, from sparklers and small trinkets for the kids, to large 25-shot displays for the adults. He says in his limited experience thus far, it hasn’t taken him long to notice the kids head straight for the little items, while the adults wander to the end of the table where the heavy duty fireworks rest.
So why the attraction to fireworks for a guy who normally spends his days installing plumbing and repairing water heaters? Well, he also likes yard sales, bargain shopping and wheeling and dealing whenever he can.
“We’ve always done real well with yard sales whenever we have them here,” said David about his business located on Old Rock Island Road in the Eastside School vicinity. “We’ve got a ton of traffic on this road and selling fireworks is always something I’ve wanted to do. It’s been a few years since there’s been a stand in this area.”
And surprisingly, it’s been a somewhat quiet year for firework stands throughout the county. After the city of McMinnville changed its laws to allow the sale of fireworks inside city limits, there haven’t been an abundance of people who have jumped at the offer.
That’s fine with Hankal, who is hoping people decide to frequent his stand. He says he sure needs the business.
“This isn’t something you can spend $500,” he said. “You’ve got to sink some money into it if you’re going to have what people want.”
The fireworks have been keeping him busy, but David has still been devoting time to his day job, which is fixing things few people bother to repair anymore.
“Nowadays, when something like a refrigerator or a TV tears up, people just throw it away,” said David. “But most of that stuff has a lot of life left in it and doesn’t need to be trashed.”
He was also quick to point out appliances aren’t made nearly as well today as they used to be. He says it’s so inexpensive to buy a new, cheaply made item, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to repair something that’s broken.
“We’ve become a throw-away society,” said David. “It’s getting to the point where it doesn’t make sense to fix a TV or VCR anymore. When you can buy a new VCR for $49, I can hardly fix one for that. But quite simply, the stuff you buy today is junk. It isn’t made to last very long. The older stuff is a whole lot better.”
PHOTO INFO:
David Hankal has always wanted to set up a fireworks stand and this year he finally did. His store, Hankal’s Plumbing and Appliance, is located on heavily traveled Old Rock Island Road. Hankal is banking on some of those people stopping to buy fireworks from his stand, which is located on the front porch of his store. (James Clark photos)