Gapers Block published from April 22, 2003 to Jan. 1, 2016. The site will remain up in archive form. Please visit Third Coast Review, a new site by several GB alumni.
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Thursday, April 18
Costco is testing out a new item at two Chicago-area stores: caskets. Six different models, each priced at $799.99. Although some shoppers seemed open to the idea of buying their casket at the same place they buy bulk quantities of food, funeral arrangers are less enthusiastic, and are worried that reduced-cost caskets may mean an increase in funeral prices, to make up the missed revenue.