Yes they are expensive. In times past I never would have paid that much for the Thill slip/spring floats. They were $4 each (weirdly the largest one was just $2) where the 3 packs of Comal were just $1.49. At this point in my life money is not as hard to come by as it once was so I just went for it this time. I might have messed up though. What if I love them? They might become the new standard.