# What is cheapest thing to make? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 8, 2014, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-cheapest-thing-to-make/692591 "2014-07-08T00:28:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![donkeyoatey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@donkeyoatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/donkeyoatey)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2014, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-cheapest-thing-to-make/692591/41 "2014-07-09T01:08:59Z")
The shift key is pretty fucking cheap. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2014, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-cheapest-thing-to-make/692591/42 "2014-07-09T02:11:53Z")
The cheapest individual resistors or capacitors can be less than $0.005 (half a penny) each if bought in bulk. You can easily buy one at a time, but then the price goes up to about a penny each. Of course the postage would be much more than the price so while there are plenty of times when you use only one, it makes sense to buy them a few hundred at a time. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2014, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-cheapest-thing-to-make/692591/43 "2014-07-09T02:20:11Z")
> [@Suicide](#): > > .the transistor answer is ridiculous, you don’t buy one transisitor and use it for anything:eek:🆒;)⭕smack: I certainly do use one transistor for many things, though if they’re the really cheap ones I’d normally buy at least a half dozen at a time. But there are specialty or power transistors that are around $150, if I’m replacing one of those I’m not buying any more than I have to. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2014, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-cheapest-thing-to-make/692591/44 "2014-07-09T02:28:30Z")
> [@lisiate](#): > > The OP didn’t specify that things had to be used separately “Common sense” does, though. Also the definition of “thing” … OP gave the example of buying something… he wants to buy one… ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2014, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-cheapest-thing-to-make/692591/45 "2014-07-09T02:34:37Z")
> [@PatriotGrrrl](#): > > I certainly do use one transistor for many things, though if they’re the really cheap ones I’d normally buy at least a half dozen at a time. But there are specialty or power transistors that are around $150, if I’m replacing one of those I’m not buying any more than I have to. Good clarification. You can certainly buy a single transistor, but the price will be a universe away from the numbers in the link **lisiate** provided. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2014, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-cheapest-thing-to-make/692591/46 "2014-07-09T03:49:37Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > But does your town"make" water? Barring a city-wide kidney ailment, probably. ---
**Author:** ![Ornery\_Bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/da6949/32.png) [@Ornery\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ornery_Bob)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2014, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-cheapest-thing-to-make/692591/47 "2014-07-09T05:07:13Z")
_I say it is a rubber band, my pal says a paper clip, another person says a postage stamp…other choices are straight pin, thumbtack, bb, penny and brass washer_ Some quick and dirty searching says in that group, the bb is the cheapest. Universal #1 Smooth Paper Clips $0.21 per box of 100 = $0.0021 each Francoise Postage Stamp Stickers - Set of 80 $1.80 = $0.0225 each Straight Pins - 24 packs of 1000 for $46.79 = $0.00194 each Thumb Tacks - box of 100 pieces $0.60 = $0.0060 each Crosman Copperhead BBs, 6000 count - $7.99 = 0.00133 each Brass Flat Washer Small 1/8 Id 5/16 Od 1/32 Thick Qty 50 $4.50 = $0.09 each ---
**Author:** ![runningdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e9c0ed/32.png) [@runningdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/runningdude)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2014, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-cheapest-thing-to-make/692591/48 "2014-07-09T13:32:13Z")
> [@Suicide](#): > > What is the cheapest thing in the world to manufacture, on a cost per unit basis? I say it is a rubber band, my pal says a paper clip, another person says a postage stamp…other choices are straight pin, thumbtack, bb, penny and brass washer…i know a penny costs several cents to make so that can’t be the winner…what is???😕😕😕😕 Mud pie. 30 seconds of labor; abundant raw materials. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2014, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-cheapest-thing-to-make/692591/49 "2014-07-09T18:55:57Z")
How about a Back-scratcher? Design has very loose tolerances, can be made from almost any rigid material. I have a theory that the back-scratchier was the first handheld tool ever used by the first quadruped that evolved a prehensile hand. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-cheapest-thing-to-make/692591/50 "2014-07-11T02:16:40Z")
Straight pins are lowest on Ornery Bob’s list. Let’s see if I can get a number for toothpicks. Darn it. Google wants to rhapsodize about the history of toothpick manyfacture. But you can buy 4X800 boxes on Amazon for $3.15. That’s 3200 for $3.15 or 0.000984 each. Unless they’re being sold at a loss, the actual cost of manufacture would be below that. I think the toothpick wins. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-cheapest-thing-to-make/692591/51 "2014-07-11T03:39:48Z")
A baby Free to make, expensive to maintain. ---
**Author:** ![Suicide](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Suicide](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suicide)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-cheapest-thing-to-make/692591/52 "2014-07-11T10:57:08Z")
**we have a winnah!!!** [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-cheapest-thing-to-make/692591.md?page=2)