Why You Can't Have It Both Ways
Whether you are wracking your brains trying to find the perfect Time Capsule Container, or trying to find the cheapest kind that will do, know this: you can't have it both ways. That is to say, you can't spend NO money on a time capsule container and have the best protection for your items. Buck up!
There's no free lunch
We have seen customers come to us because the time capsule container they chose was donated to them, but leaked after only a few years. They got the time capsule container for free, but it leaked! Most often, the leaking container is made of plastic or was intended to be a small burial casket. In the case of the plastic time capsule, the material is suspect and will crack over time. With a burial casket, be aware of the way it seals. Do not take the donor's word for this important characteristic - inspect it yourself, or have an expert take a look.
Please, use common sense.
This all being said...we have some recommendations for you. They're simple and easy to use. And they'll save you money without losing out on quality.
Choose one of the 6x24 & 5x22 Standard Nonprofit or School Stainless Steel Time Capsules
These are the best buys for time capsules. You won't find this much space inside of a stainless steel time capsule for this price anywhere.
Our 'Standard' time capsules have slight blemishes - cosmetic irregularities that do not affect quality. We inspect our time capsules heavily - all over - for everything. For those with noticeable dents, or poor welds, or lids that don't fit - we scrap those. We sell the 'practically perfect' ones in the Family category. The ones that are functionally sound and that we would be proud to use, ourselves, we sell as 'standard.' This means a bargain for you. It really does. These units pass all the 'true quality' checks such as fit, welds, etc. but maybe they have scratches on the lid or bottom. If you are placing the time capsule in a trophy case, or look carefully at it closely, you may notice the blemish. Otherwise, and especially if you are burying it, we highly recommend these units.
If you care about the items you are placing into a time capsule, you should take care and use common sense when choosing that container. If you cannot afford to use a quality time capsule, re-think the project and do something else.