This is probably the most ostentatious Christmas catalogue you’ll ever flip through

What do you get the man or woman who has everything?

Neiman Marcus has a few suggestions, starting with a $1.5 million Cobalt Valkyrie-X private plane in rose gold. There’s also a $93,000 ruby-and-diamond-encrusted Chanel watch or a $100,000 collection of classic children’s books. Or you could buy yourself a walk-on role in the Broadway show “Waitress” (price tag: $30,000).

The newly released Neiman Marcus Christmas Book, an annual exercise in all things excessive, includes more than 700 items, ranging in price from $10 (for a package of six snowflake-shaped marshmallows) to the $1.5 million private plane.

In the mood for a vacation? There’s a weeklong stay at three estates in the English countryside — which also comes with a helicopter trip to a castle — for $700,000. Or a slumber party for 12 at the company’s flagship store in Dallas for $120,000.

Or perhaps you’re feeling a bit distrustful. The luxury retailer says it has you covered, with a $25,000 mattress with a built-in fireproof lockbox.

A weeklong stay in the English countryside will cost you $700,000. (Courtesy of Neiman Marcus)

Extravagances aside, the company says about 40 percent of the catalogue’s offerings are priced under $250. There’s a bracelet made of paper beads for $25 and a stainless steel beer growler for $60.

Milton Pedraza, chief executive of the Luxury Institute, says those lower-priced items are particularly important this year as high-end retailers struggle to stay afloat. Neiman Marcus has battled slipping sales for four quarters in a row. In September, the Dallas-based company posted a quarterly loss of $407.2 million.

“This is the most democratic Neiman Marcus catalogue I’ve ever seen,” Pedraza said, citing a $35 tube of Dior lipstick. “They know they need to appeal to millennials if they’re going to survive two decades from now.”

The uncertainty of the upcoming presidential election, combined with fears about the effect of Brexit on the European economy, are contributing to general unease, he said.

“Luxury is in a very challenging spot right now,” Pedraza said. “The world economy is flat and young customers are struggling. When millennials as a group have $1.3 trillion in student debt, it’s hard to splurge.”

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But that doesn’t mean Neiman Marcus is completely holding back.

The company — which sifts through thousands of submissions in the spring — is offering 12 “fantasy gifts” in all, including “quarterback fundamentals” lessons with four-time Super Bowl winner Joe Montana ($65,000), his-and-hers island cars designed by Lilly Pulitzer ($130,000) and a trip to the Grammy Awards ($500,000).

His-and-hers island cars designed by Lilly Pulitzer cost $65,000 each and come with matching swim trunks and caftan. (Courtesy of Neiman Marcus)

The Christmas Book began in 1926, when the retailer released a 16-page Christmas booklet to its most loyal customers. Neiman Marcus offered its first “fantasy gift” in 1959: a black angus steer, either on the hoof ($1,925) or cut into steaks ($2,230). It was purchased by a customer in South Africa.

In the years since, Neiman Marcus has served up a steady — if jaw-dropping — selection of offerings, including his-and-hers mummy cases (one with an actual mummy), and his-and-hers camels (a customer in Texas bought the female camel, which boarded an American Airlines flight on Christmas Eve to arrive in Fort Worth on Christmas morning).

The most expensive item offered to date: A $33 million Boeing Business Jet. It didn’t sell. A $6.7 million helicopter with built-in entertainment system, however, did.

For the majority of Americans, though, Neiman Marcus’s “fantasy gifts” will be just that. Americans on average last year spent $800 on all of their holiday shopping, according to the National Retail Federation. That’s enough to buy an orange hippo figurine from the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book.

Or if that seems too pricey, you could just buy a copy of the catalogue — for $15.

Original Article Courtesy of The Washington Post and Abha Bhattarai.