Neiman Marcus catalog makes nod to recession

You know the holidays are just around the corner when the annual Neiman Marcus Christmas fantasy catalog comes out.

Every year, and even in this recession, consumers look forward to the big, over-priced gifts that seemingly no one can afford to buy but love to look at.

“Neiman Marcus will always have fantasy gifts at Christmas. It’s part of our tradition. It’s part of who we are and we always will,“ said Ginger Reeder, vice president of public affairs for Neiman Marcus.

Since the 1950’s, the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book has drawn publicity from items so over the top.

This year’s icon is a sports aircraft and pilot training for two for $250,000.  The catalog also features the world’s fastest electric motorcycle for $73,000. 

Two-hundred thousand dollars will buy you a private dinner with eight famous authors.

And then there’s an insect turned pocket watch, for $8,500.

“It’s an African flower beetle. It’s a real beetle that I got preserved from a specimen collector. What I’ve done is customized it with antique pocket watch parts,“ said insect lab artist Mike Libby.

Who will buy in this recession? For Neiman’s, that’s not what the Christmas book is about.

“We don’t look at them for salability. If they sell, terrific. But if they don’t, they’ve gotten attention. They’ve made people smile and given you something fun to fantasize about during the holiday season,“ said Reeder.

And even this year’s gifts, although still over the top, cost much less, as a sign of the recession.

This year’s most expensive gift is only $250,000—not millions as in past Christmas editions.