Alright, let me tell you about my little adventure trying to get some helium. It wasn’t as straightforward as I thought it would be, honestly.
It started because we were throwing a small get-together, you know, needed some balloons that float. Seemed simple enough. My first thought was just heading to one of those big superstores, the kind that sells everything from groceries to garden hoses.
First Try: The Big Box Store
So, I went there. Walked around the party aisle. Found plenty of balloons, banners, paper plates, the usual stuff. But helium? Nope. They sold those foil balloons already filled, the ones tied to a plastic weight. But I needed a tank, wanted to fill a bunch of regular latex balloons myself. Asked an employee stocking shelves nearby. He just kinda shrugged, said they don’t rent tanks or sell pure helium. Strike one.
Next Stop: The Party Supply Place
Okay, plan B. There’s a dedicated party supply store not too far away. Figured they must have it. Went inside, and yeah, success! Kinda. They had helium tanks, different sizes too. But here’s the thing:
- You usually have to rent the tank, not buy it.
- There’s a deposit for the tank, sometimes pretty hefty.
- You gotta bring the heavy thing back when you’re done.
- The cost of the helium itself wasn’t super cheap either.
It just felt like a bit of a hassle, honestly, especially for just a few balloons. I stood there for a bit, weighing the options. Do I really want to lug this thing around?
Thinking Outside the Box
While standing there, I remembered something. A buddy of mine does some welding as a hobby. He gets gas tanks for that. I wondered, do those places carry helium? It’s a gas, right? Seemed like a long shot.
I decided to just call one up, a local welding supply company. Felt a bit weird asking about balloon gas when they’re dealing with industrial stuff. But the guy on the phone was surprisingly helpful. He said, “Yeah, we have helium. What grade do you need?” I just explained it was for balloons.
The Welding Supply Route
He told me they do supply helium, often a higher purity than needed for balloons, but it works just fine. Sometimes businesses use it for promotional balloons or events. Their process was different, more industrial like I expected. They had tanks for sale or rent too, often bigger sizes. The price per volume was actually better sometimes, but you might end up with way more helium than you need.
In the end, I actually went back to the party store. The convenience of getting a smaller, ready-to-go “balloon time” style disposable tank won out for my small party, even if it cost a bit more per balloon. But knowing the welding supply place was an option was good. If I ever needed a lot of helium, that’s probably where I’d check first next time.
So, yeah. You can get helium at party stores, usually renting tanks or buying small disposable ones. Some larger grocery stores might have the disposable kits too. And don’t forget welding supply places, though it might be overkill for just a few balloons. Took a bit more running around than I initially expected!