The balloons are as pictured. My balloons are not filled, you can fill at your local grocery store, discount store, or florist, or rent a helium tank from your local party store or welding company. You can also air fill it and tape to the wall or attach balloon sticks. If using air, insert a straw carefully into the self sealing opening and blow, then remove and it will seal. Please note that mylar will last about 1-2 weeks, latex will only last about 8-24 hours, so best to inflate those just prior to your party, although actual float time varies. Just be sure to use the correct inflator. A black nozzle tip will be used for latex balloons, and a gold narrow tip should be used for mylar balloons. If you use a larger latex black inflation nozzle on helium balloons, you risk over inflation of the balloon and harming the self sealing properties and this may cause early deflation.