Selection Boxes contain an assortment of various different fireworks. The general idea is to pack as many fireworks in as possible for the money. Whilst this sounds good on paper, in practice most boxes contain smaller items than if you were to pick individually, with the emphasis being on quantity rather than performance.

Smaller boxes tend to focus on fountain effects. As you go up in price, candles and wheels are added, then rockets, and the most expensive boxes contain a little bit of everything.

Pound for pound, money spent on a selection box will normally always give you more fireworks than if you bought individual items, but be warned, they will be significantly smaller. They're good though for smaller displays or displays for younger children.

Another traditional favourite, the sparkler is popular with both children and adults. It's the only firework you can truly get interactive with. Everything else has to be let off from a distance.

Simple in design, they are just a metal rod covered in a black coloured material that sparks as it burns. A variety of effects are available from the traditional golden sparks through to coloured varieties.

The standard golden sparklers produce the best sparks of all. Coloured versions generally produce more of a coloured flame (red or green normally) than vigorous sparks, but these do make a nice change and children like something different. Crackling sparklers are also worth considering too, for the added sound effect.

Indoor Sparklers are smaller and give off little or no smoke. They're surprisingly good and suitable for use indoors (never use outdoor sparklers, indoors).

Not a firework in itself, but perhaps the most important part of your inventory, hence its inclusion in this section.

A portfire is a thin paper tube filled with a powder that burns with an intense, very hot and very steady flame. Each one lasts for several minutes, creating in effect a hand-held blowtorch. Unaffected by wind or rain, these make lighting fuses properly very easy indeed.

It's no surprise that professionals use these for manual ignition of their fuses, and their advantages extend far beyond the obvious safety aspects. By using these you no longer have to worry that a slight wind will hamper your evening, no more messing around with disposable lighters or matches and no more reliance on dodgy tapers which can prove very unreliable. This boils down to a display where your fireworks light when you want them to, not when the fuse finally gets going. Your performance will be tighter and more reliable and these are essential if you want to confidently light more than one firework at a time.

On the safety side, using these allows the full use of protective gloves (which you could not wear when trying to operate a lighter or matches) and they can also be taped to the end of a stick, for an added safety margin. The positive ignition of the fuses also drastically reduces "partly" lit fuses too (where they just smoulder, leaving you wondering whether to try and light them again, or just run!). Finally, no more burnt thumbs from rocket fuses!

Fire writing, also known as lancework, is where a number of fountains burn to form letters and words. Different colours are available and a good example is the word "Good-bye" to use at the end of a display.

Numbers (for birthdays or anniversaries) are popular, so are two initials either side of a heart for a wedding.

Lancework has to be made to order and tends to be expensive. Having said that it is very effective if used in the right setting. You'll also need additional timber mount it as high as possible.

Here a number of fountains are mounted on a section of wire or rope which is strung between two posts. The sparks fall down along the whole length, creating a "waterfall" of sparks. These are another item that needs to be used in the right setting to look good. For best results, use the longer ones otherwise from the spectator distance they can look small. They work well with water in-between them and the audience to create reflections. Mount them as high as possible.

A pigeon is a set of rocket-style motors which are designed to be mounted on a rope or wire that runs across the display area. The motors fire to propel the pigeon at speed across the wire in one direction, then reverse thrust to come back, often with sparks and sometimes for several passes. Some are painted or styled to look like a pigeon. These have the advantage of being something completely different, but they do need some space and the effect can be somewhat hit or miss, so these should only be considered for very large budgets.