What the Super-Rich are Giving This Holiday Season

Here's a fun piece from Money Central on what the super-rich are giving as gifts this holiday season (from the Neiman Marcus catalog). The highlights:

• For a mere $1.7 million you can truly send your loved one into orbit. Neiman is offering a charter on Virgin Galactic, owned by Sir Richard Branson, who claims regular private space travel will begin in 2009.

• A human-electric hybrid vehicle for $40,000. The car/bike is completely gasoline-, emission- and "guilt-free."

• If you'd rather give a gift that doesn't move, Neiman is offering what may be one of the world's most expensive timeshares: a $3.8 million membership in The Club at Castiglion Del Bosco, one of Tuscany's oldest working wine estates that has been transformed into a luxury resort.

• You could buy the $3.5 million archives of the House of Fath, the French design company. The museum quality collection includes 26 volumes of sketchbooks and original records.

• If that is too much, how about a $40,000 seven-foot-tall skyscraper made of pencils?

• Maybe you'd prefer the sports celebrity dream package. The minimum suggested bid from Neiman's charity auction is $250,000. The winner gets VIP travel, accommodations, and tickets to six pro sports events.

• Neiman this year is selling a $7,000 indoor pet home, replete with interior rug and coordinating wallpaper, as well as an armchair of plush Italian leather.

• And what would be Christmas, or any holiday, if there weren't something for the kids. Neiman's big offering this year is a $100,000 backyard water park. It includes 26 interactive water columns, maneuverable cannons, water games, and ground sprays.

Isn't there a saying about some people having more money than they know what to do with?

I can't imagine buying ANY of these, even if I was super rich. Now a $10,000 road bicycle, that's a different story. ;-)

Comments

[Jon]

I'd love to know how many of the NM super-$$$ catalog gifts go unsold.

I recall a couple years ago NM having a personal submarine for a couple mil. I wounder if someone actually bought it using their Platinum American Express...?