# Do you rent coffins?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-rent-coffins/186072>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 3, 2003, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-rent-coffins/186072 "2003-07-03T17:17:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-rent-coffins/186072/41 "2010-07-08T20:18:22Z")

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Can you rent all the props and mechanical workings for a good Gotcha Ya! setup?

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**Author:** ![Clark\_Cello](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@Clark\_Cello](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clark_Cello)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-rent-coffins/186072/42 "2010-07-08T21:04:32Z")

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> [@Guinastasia](#):
>
> Where my father has problems, it’s with people who want all the bells and whistles, but don’t want to pay for such things.
> 
> He doesn’t try to push more expensive stuff on them. My dad is a HIGHLY respected funeral director, and many people send him thank you notes and even gifts for his help. (Mostly people from our parish)
> 
> However, he has worked with some crooked people-you get that anywhere. He also has to deal with a lot of jerks for clients. Like the woman who wanted people to be at the funeral home on Christmas Day, so SHE could spend the day with her mother, who was going to be buried the day after. Or people who won’t leave when they’re supposed to-and they’re not grieving, they’re either gabbing or arguing over the will!
> 
> And the worse aspect of his job, is the very complicated and difficult task of dealing with grief. Or when children or young people die. He was telling us about a child who was beaten to death by her mother when he first started out. I was just a baby, and he said when the police lead the mother in in SHACKLES, he had to leave the room to calm down.
> 
> It’s not an easy job. It’s highly stressful and NOT extremely financially rewarding.
> 
> I’m not ranting-I’m simply trying to defend the profession.

Thanks for the point of view. I think the funeral business is one that can attract some of the best and worst of humanity. On the one side you have good, caring people who have made it their life’s work to help people through the most difficult time of their lives. On the other hand, you have some people who use this time of extreme vulnerability to manipulate and profit.

I will say that while I have heard terrible stories about the latter, most of my personal experience has been with people who seem to be among the former type.

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**Author:** ![justrob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9adbd/32.png) [@justrob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justrob)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-rent-coffins/186072/43 "2010-07-08T21:30:27Z")

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When my dad died a two years ago he wanted to be cremated so we did rent a casket. (Well really he wanted to be cremated when he died before he died. After he died I don’t think he cared.) It was $600 for 2 day. :eek: The funeral home that was doing it were family friends so I knew they weren’t trying to rip us off but man that seemed like a lot. Especially now, looking at that Costco link, the least expensive one they have is ~$950.

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