If you can find someone to sale them to you by the pound that is the way to go. I use to have a guy that would do that. He would either weigh me a pound or if I called in time he would just buy an extra pound and leave them in the oxygen/water filled bag. I paid him somewhere just south of $25. Seems like we averaged around 20 dozen a pound. Been a while since I did this. Since I moved I am not aware of anyone in this area that will sale them like that. From around November until late April/May, depending on temps, they are not hard to keep alive. I kept mine in a 55 gallon barrel. I bought a cheap aerator that lasted close to 10 years. I installed a drain plug in the bottom and drain the water maybe 2 times a week. Add the water treatment stuff,on city water now, and good to go. I love not having to stop and get bait every trip.