California is our largest market by volume and also the hardest on materials. Both facts are worth knowing before you buy.
Sun is the thing that ages a balloon
Ultraviolet light is what wears out an advertising balloon, and California supplies plenty of it, especially inland.
Cheap balloons are PVC. Sun turns PVC brittle and it keeps every crease from folding, so it looks tired long before it fails. Ours are polyurethane, which stays flexible and tolerates ultraviolet far better.
That is the whole reason a California company can fly more than 100 of our blimps every weekend for homebuilders and keep doing it year after year.
Coastal wind is the other one
The rule is the same everywhere but it bites more often near the coast and through the passes: if winds over 25 miles per hour are forecast, bring it in.
Wind is what takes balloons. Normal use does not wear them out in any way you will notice. If you are somewhere with a reliable afternoon wind, plan on it being a morning-and-evening product rather than an all-day one, or expect to lose one eventually.
Getting one to California
Everything ships UPS Ground from our factory in North Carolina. Transit is two to five business days to any California address, in a single carton measuring 60 by 26 by 3 inches.
Production takes three to seven days from artwork approval. Most California orders are flying inside two weeks of the decision.
Helium is bought locally. Every California metro has welding-gas and industrial-gas suppliers; expect about $300 for a 200 cubic foot tank.
Ask for a quote. Call 1-800-791-1445 or email [email protected] and tell us the size and whether you want it printed.
More at usblimps.com.