Holiday Previews:If It's OctoberIt Must Be Christmas

Perhaps no other retailer has been more skilled at weathering tough times than Neiman Marcus. In an example of the worst possible timing, the Texas Luxury chain releases its 2008 Christmas Book this week.
As usual, the Christmas catalogs come out waaay before anyone is really ready for Holiday shopping, but, especially this year, stores need as much time as they can possibly get to sell all that special holiday-themed merchandise, because come December 26th it's markdown time.
In a strategy that paradoxically seems to work for Neiman's during challenging economic times, the store made its catalog more luxurious than ever, moving its $100 gift sections to their own separate catalogs, so as not to distract from this year's fanrtasy gifts.
Famed for it's practically absurd extravagances, this year's book includes, among other bagatelles, a $1.3 million wedding package, His and Hers life-size replica portrait sculptures rendered in LEGO^® for a mere $60,000, A Jack Nicklaus designed golf course starting at $1 million (you provide the real estate), and topping out at $10 million, you get a thoroughbred racehorse farm created for you by Three Chimneys Farm home to, "some of racing's winningest thoroughbreds," including history's only undefeated triple crown winner, Seattle Slew.
That's all in addition to the usual array of designer gowns, furs and jewels, jewels, jewels.
It's the kind of oddly comforting optimism that we need right about now.
Neiman Marcus 2008 Christmas Book (Official Site)
See the video press release after the jump-

Comments

[Aaress]

Wow - these are amazing gift ideas, but hardly practical for most people with today's economy.