Neiman Marcus gift book offers space flight, BMW

from yahoo

By Chelsea Emery
Tue Oct 3, 8:39 PM ET

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Luxury retailer Neiman Marcus may have the perfect gift idea for the loved one who wants to get away from it all: a space trip that includes a spectacular view of Earth and a chance to experience weightlessness.

Or, to keep that special person closer to home, how about a limited edition black 2007 BMW M6 convertible with a V-10 engine? Or, for those concerned about still-high gas prices, a pedal-powered, two-person enclosed vehicle may be just the thing.

This year's Neiman Marcus holiday catalogue offers gift seekers a slew of ideas ranging from a $25 (13 pound) crystal desk bell to the $1.76 million (930,000 pound) space charter for six passengers including medical assessments, training, a ride on the Virgin Galactic spaceship and an after-party at Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson's private-island retreat in the Caribbean.

Started in 1926 as a sort of Christmas card, the book this year features gem-embedded silver cuff links, lead crystal vases -- and a $100,000 backyard water park. The catalogue helps drum up buzz about the luxury retailer as well as ring up sales that can reach into the millions for a single item.

"The cars sell out in a matter of hours," said Ginger Reeder, vice president of public relations for the retailer, who sifts through 400 marketers' proposals to whittle down the fantasy gift selections to about 10.

The company says it doesn't try to make money on its fantasy gifts, which this year include the BMW, the space flight and a GG Quad motorcycle/car hybrid. Instead, it generates most of its sales from standard gift items such as a $395 cashmere sweater.

However, the company does manage to sell about half of its fantasy gifts, Reeder said.

The 500 horsepower BMW, which sports an 11-speaker surround sound stereo system and a 5.0-litre engine, goes for $139,000. You can purchase the four-wheeled GG Quad muscle motorcycle for $56,000.

The pet who has everything could receive a $7,000 Italian handcrafted pet home that includes a leather armchair.

This year's most expensive gift is a $3.8 million membership at Italy's Castiglion Del Bosco wine estate, which includes unlimited time at the Tuscan villas and access to swimming pools, vehicles and spas.

Sports fans can bid on a package of tickets to six events including the Super Bowl; the Major League Baseball, NBA and NHL All-Star games; the U.S. Open tennis women's final; and a surprise bonus event -- travel and accommodations included. Bids for the charity auction start at $250,000 and the winner will also receive a meal with a sports star.

The Christmas books went into the mail on October 3 and Neiman Marcus has hired dedicated staff to field all calls about its fantasy gifts.

"We want to weed out the morning disk jockey from LA (making a joke call) from the person who really does want a trip to space," Reeder said.