Often, the price includes Marak's travel to the dedication ceremony when the capsule is buried or placed in a wall, where he will give a dissertation on time capsule history. He doesn't make a living at it. The money seems to matter less than the Pittsburgh tradition he is preserving. More than that, Marak says, his avocation gives him the opportunity to take the joy of time capsuling to cities all over the country. There are no bad ideas.
Time capsules can bring an entire community together.
Sometimes the atmosphere is festive. Sometimes, curiously somber. When the capsule is lowered into the ground, I've seen people with tears running down their cheeks. They were the tombs of royalty, but also unintended time capsules. Preserving things for the future wasn't exactly new.