Yes, the economy’s still tanking, but Neiman Marcus is banking that someone out there will drop $500,000 on a 530-square-yard end zone from Texas Stadium.
If you’re not a Cowboys fan, the significance of the gift is that Texas Stadium will close after the current Dallas Cowboys’ season ends. (For the 2009 NFL season, the Cowboys will move in to a new stadium in Arlington, TX.)
The end zone is just one of the unique offers included in the 82nd edition of the 160-page Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog, which mailed yesterday to 1.6 million customers. What else can you splurge on?
- a $110,000 limited-edition fighter motorcycle
- his-and-her Legos made in the likeness of the couple for $60,000 per person
- the opportunity to play in a game with the Harlem Globetrotters for $110,000
- a 35-year collection of 45-rpm records for $275,000
- a limited edition 2009 BMW Individual 7 Series sedan, plus a vacation on the French Riviera for $160,000.
The release of Neiman Marcus’ fantasy catalog became an annual tradition in the 1950s when Stanley and Edward Marcus started picking his-and-hers gifts to have something to brag about on national TV.
So what prompted the sale of Dallas Cowboy items in this year’s Christmas book?
“The Cowboys management] approached us about doing something together and we thought it was a great idea,” says Ginger Reeder, vice president of corporate communications for the Neiman Marcus Group. “We sat down for a brainstorming session and came up with the idea of offering the entire end zone.”
Along with the end zone, the buyer of this particular gift will also receive VIP treatment at the last game in Texas Stadium, including a post-game party with the world-famous Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.
P.S. If you really want the Cowboys’ former end zone but feel funny flinging your cash around during these tough times, fear not: Team owner Jerry Jones plans to donate the entire $500,000 purchase price to the Salvation Army