ByJim Dobson,
Senior Contributor.
F
ew traditions have defined American luxury, such as the annual Neiman Marcus Christmas Book. The Texas retailer, founded in 1907, has made the holiday shopping experience a legendary voyage of imagination. I eagerly look forward to what the creative minds will come up with every year, as these often outrageous and one-of-a-kind gifts are part fantasy, part indulgence, and completely unattainable for most of us.
It all began in the early 20s, when Neiman Marcus started sending small holiday catalogs to their clients. It wasn’t until 1959 that the Christmas book started to make headlines. That year, Stanley Marcus and his brother Edward wanted to create a publicity stunt to increase business, and they launched what would quickly become iconic His and Hers gifts. Their first offering was two matching Beechcraft airplanes for $176,000, and it started a spectacle. They were willing to dream bigger than anyone else, and it worked.
