Hold the myrrh

NOT everyone finds Christmas easy. Some people have so much money that they cannot think what to spend it on. Every year Neiman Marcus, a posh department store, takes pity on these unfortunate souls by offering them its Christmas catalogue, stuffed with ideas to empty even the fattest wallet.

For example, sporty couples can buy “His and Hers” Quadskis for $50,000 each. These are jet skis that convert into quad bikes in about five seconds (pictured). And they come in a turtle print. Shoppers who wish to relax can buy an elaborate cocktail shaker for $35,000. It comes with a year’s supply of gin and a class for 20 guests with a “mixology” expert.

Many luxury brands are now ubiquitous, which robs them of their snob value. What the truly rich want is “unique experiences”, says Milton Pedraza of the Luxury Institute, a consultancy. Neiman Marcus offers plenty of those. For $125,000 you can ride a Mardi Gras float in New Orleans. For $425,000 you can attend the Vanity Fair Oscar party, having first been glammed up by a style expert so that the other revellers won’t think you are a gatecrasher.

The costliest item in this year’s book is the “House of Creed Bespoke Fragrance Journey”. For $475,000 you can fly to Paris and have a master perfumier create a scent that perfectly suits you. You also get “white-glove car service, private tours and other experiences befitting the royally amazing you”. Your correspondent tried to expense such a trip, for research purposes, but her Scrooge-like editor said no.

Ginger Reeder, who handpicks all the “fantasy items” for the catalogue, does not expect to sell everything. Selling is not the point. “They are chosen for their uniqueness and their publicity value,” she says. In 1997, for instance, Neiman Marcus was unable to offload first editions of 90 of America’s greatest novels, from “The Great Gatsby” to “Catch-22”, but Ms Reeder found some comfort when she received 600 requests for the book-list.

The shop’s most expensive gift ever was a Boeing jet for $35m in 1999. The most memorable have included a submarine ($20m), a mean-spirited camel who spat a lot (Neiman Marcus no longer includes animals in the catalogue) and “His and Hers” mummy cases for $6,000 in 1971 ($35,000 in modern money). A mummy was unexpectedly discovered in one sarcophagus, which caused a spot of bother. A death certificate had to be issued before it could be delivered. Gift wrapping was optional.