# What's the cheapest thing you can buy one million of? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 29, 2023, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-cheapest-thing-you-can-buy-one-million-of/989316 "2023-08-29T23:02:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-cheapest-thing-you-can-buy-one-million-of/989316/61 "2023-08-30T15:46:24Z")
> [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > Wait. You mean they make each individual toothpick from ONE tree? That’s remarkable. I never would have guessed that. Didn’t they show you the toothpick manufacturing documentary when you were in elementary school? 😲 ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jn4k2TPIJf0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jn4k2TPIJf0)) ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-cheapest-thing-you-can-buy-one-million-of/989316/62 "2023-08-30T15:49:56Z")
The exchange rate for the Iranian Rial is .000024 to $1. So to own a million Rial, will cost you $23.65 ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-cheapest-thing-you-can-buy-one-million-of/989316/63 "2023-08-30T15:50:25Z")
Or the sequel: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/-DKCFjm0DvE/hqdefault.jpg "Where The Pins Go (The Simpsons)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DKCFjm0DvE) ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-cheapest-thing-you-can-buy-one-million-of/989316/64 "2023-08-30T15:55:54Z")
Staples is good, but you’re paying too much: > **[5000 Standard Staples - up & up™](https://www.target.com/p/5000-standard-staples-up-38-up-8482/-/A-83901186?ref=tgt_adv_xsf&AFID=google&CPNG=Seasonal&adgroup=81-6)** > > Read reviews and buy 5000 Standard Staples - up & up™ at Target. Choose from contactless Same Day Delivery, Drive Up and more. They’re charging $1.29 for 5,000. Two hundred boxes gets you a million for $258.00. Edit: or go [here](https://www.cleanersupply.com/counter-check-in/fasteners/staples-staplers/cleaners-supply-staples-b8-5000box/#sku=s810). At $0.98 per 5,000, you can meet the demand for $196. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-cheapest-thing-you-can-buy-one-million-of/989316/65 "2023-08-30T16:02:50Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > You could separate the resistors or staples, but that would be a huge pain in the ass I think they make a machine for dispensing single staples. Comes complete with carpal tunnel syndrome if you use it a million times in a row. [![](https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/c_fit,f_auto,g_center,q_60,w_1600/1384b54bbf3b1cd1ef1a17f354353582.jpg) ](https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/c_fit,f_auto,g_center,q_60,w_1600/1384b54bbf3b1cd1ef1a17f354353582.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-cheapest-thing-you-can-buy-one-million-of/989316/66 "2023-08-30T16:25:41Z")
According to Mad Magazine: [![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r_TodoMev1I/T1zuaetGffI/AAAAAAAASeE/C0CmC0nigOI/s1600/Mad+013+Bill+Elder+005.jpg) ](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r_TodoMev1I/T1zuaetGffI/AAAAAAAASeE/C0CmC0nigOI/s1600/Mad+013+Bill+Elder+005.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-cheapest-thing-you-can-buy-one-million-of/989316/67 "2023-08-30T16:28:42Z")
But, you can’t really buy a single staple. Nor can you buy a single twist-tie. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-cheapest-thing-you-can-buy-one-million-of/989316/68 "2023-08-30T16:31:43Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > But, you can’t really buy a single staple. I’m going by the OP, not the later discussion (which I somehow missed before I responded, but which doesn’t change my answer): although you can’t buy a single staple, you can buy “an exact amount of” staples. So they’re different from rice or sand, because if I order 200 boxes of staples at 5,000 a box, I’m ordering exactly a million staples. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-cheapest-thing-you-can-buy-one-million-of/989316/69 "2023-08-30T16:32:48Z")
> [@](#): > > Wait. You mean they make each individual toothpick from ONE tree? That’s remarkable. I never would have guessed that. Wow! Seems wasteful, though. I’m no expert but I bet they could get 4 or 5 toothpicks from each tree. Maybe more. > **[Trees into Toothpicks - TV Tropes](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TreesIntoToothpicks)** > > Toothpicks, matches, ice cream sticks, paper products, etc. are in Real Life made from easily replaceable pulp-grade softwood. It would be unfathomably wasteful to harvest virgin timber solely to obtain wood for, as an example, toothpick making. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-cheapest-thing-you-can-buy-one-million-of/989316/70 "2023-08-30T16:39:18Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > You can buy a million Iranian Rials for $23.65. But is that for a million individual Rials? The shipping would cost more than the notes. **ETA** : answered by @Dewey_Finn ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-cheapest-thing-you-can-buy-one-million-of/989316/71 "2023-08-30T16:55:57Z")
Scott Tissue is $29 for 36 rolls of 1000 sheets each, or $833 for 1,000,000 sheets. I haven’t read every post to see if that’s in the ballpark for cheapest. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-cheapest-thing-you-can-buy-one-million-of/989316/72 "2023-08-30T17:01:11Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > You can buy a million Iranian Rials for $23.65. It doesn’t meet reasonable qualifications for the thread, but you can [buy 100 million Zim for 20 bucks.](https://www.greatamericancoincompany.com/collections/zimbabwe-banknotes?gad=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0bunBhD9ARIsAAZl0E1fidyqdkvfRBTWLB-mhaxWItdOmnSsfJ4H95558eNNIzxlBRT1saUaAnTWEALw_wcB&_=pf&pf_t_country=Country%3AZimbabwe&pf_v_manufacturer=Bank%20of%20Zimbabwe&pf_t_banknote_type=Banknote%20Type%3ABillion) Considering Zim are worthless, and were only very slightly more valuable in the recent past $20 is not a good price. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-cheapest-thing-you-can-buy-one-million-of/989316/73 "2023-08-30T22:00:59Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I bought a box of paper covered wire ties (red and white striped-y, I know, don’t say it) > The cleaners use them. It was a site that sells that kinda stuff. > The box was $4 and change. > There were (I didn’t check) 50,000 in the box. The size of a file box. According to the printing on the box. > > Someone can do the math on that. I’m not. Since nobody else has done the math yet, you’d need 20 boxes, so that’d be somewhere between $80 and $100 for the lot of them (depending on how much “and change” is in “$4 and change”). Unless I missed something, that’s the current leader. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-cheapest-thing-you-can-buy-one-million-of/989316/74 "2023-08-31T00:11:29Z")
50k pieces for $4 seems to be an order of magnitude better pricing than I can find on the web. You got a great deal, Beck. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-cheapest-thing-you-can-buy-one-million-of/989316/75 "2023-08-31T00:16:38Z")
Yeah–I suspect there’s a misplaced zero somewhere. At the same time, check it out. > **[White Twist Ties 50000/Box](https://roundeyesupply.com/products/white-twist-ties-50000-box-349003915?variant=45274519273790¤cy=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&utm_medium=paid&utm_keyword=&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=20431872949&utm_network=x&utm_placement=&utm_source=&utm_prodid=shopify_US_8315821654334_45274519273790&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0bunBhD9ARIsAAZl0E1S4EGdKJ6jDcMJuRlskS3TTzdR5avlaTaqWd0AmUMTTumbs8pUcewaAi2bEALw_wcB)** > > T And T Industries Inc White Twist Ties 50000/Box MPN #35916451000 If that’s accurate, damn! I can’t understand how one of these can be cheaper to manufacture than a single staple. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-cheapest-thing-you-can-buy-one-million-of/989316/76 "2023-08-31T00:19:25Z")
Same SKU, but look at the pricing and quanitity: > **[White Twist Ties](https://www.bunzlpd.com/white-twist-ties)** > > White Twist Ties ideal for closing poly meat bags and food bags. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-cheapest-thing-you-can-buy-one-million-of/989316/77 "2023-08-31T01:23:45Z")
You can buy singles, or up to pretty much any quantity of metal washers. This was the cheapest I could find for a plain washer that you can buy any quantity of, although the minimum order for this item is 100. For 1,000,000 you would pay $5,200. > **[\#0 x 7/64" x 0.015 NAS620 Flat Washer Stainless Steel 18-8](https://www.asmc.net/0-x-7-64-x-0-015-nas620-flat-washer-stainless-steel-18-8/)** > > Bulk pricing and Free Shipping on #0 x 7/64" x 0.015 NAS620 Flat Washer Stainless Steel 18-8. In stock and ready to ship. The site has a few cheaper items, but you can’t buy 1,000,000 of them. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-cheapest-thing-you-can-buy-one-million-of/989316/78 "2023-08-31T01:46:22Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > If that’s accurate, damn! I can’t understand how one of these can be cheaper to manufacture than a single staple. Maybe they’re not. Maybe that particular company just found themselves overstocked on them, and just need to clear out their shelves to make room for something more profitable, and selling them for $4 a box is cheaper than throwing them in the trash. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-cheapest-thing-you-can-buy-one-million-of/989316/79 "2023-08-31T01:56:06Z")
Hey. I got a bargain. I knew I loved those red striped-y twist ties. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-cheapest-thing-you-can-buy-one-million-of/989316/80 "2023-08-31T02:05:54Z")
Has anyone checked coffee stirrers or chop sticks? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-cheapest-thing-you-can-buy-one-million-of/989316.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-cheapest-thing-you-can-buy-one-million-of/989316.md?page=5)