Neiman Marcus -- a Shopping Wonderland!

Neiman Marcus is a Wonderland that most shoppers can only dream of. Neiman Marcus is a retailer that markets high-end, high-fashion merchandise at very high prices!

Do you have "champagne taste with a beer pocket book"? You may want to hide the credit card before entering their store. Though they do offer items under $100, much of their merchandise can be had for 10 times that and far above.

So, what makes Neiman Marcus so appealing to the average Jane or Joe? Well, why do we watch the Academy Awards year after year? Sure, we love the movies but, truth be known, it's the stars! We want to see what they are wearing! And, where did they get those glamorous, one-of-a-kind ensembles? Neiman Marcus, for many, of course!

Neiman Marcus is a dreamland of possibilities. The images in their catalogs and online store are mind-boggling!

• Every detail? Perfection.
• Quality? Beyond top.
• Display? A work of art!
• An All-Expense-Paid Shopping Spree at Neiman Marcus? Priceless!

Dream on, Dreamer, dream on!

• Top fashion designers showcase their new lines at the Neiman Marcus's stores.
• Elegant weddings are held in the Neiman Marcus rotunda!
• Celebrities and royalty shop there, extravagantly.
• Top-of-the-line authors set up shop to sign their new releases on site.
• "His and Hers" and NM Fantasy Christmas Gifts are famous all over the world!

Shall we go on?

Neiman Marcus was founded in 1907 by three visionaries who were truly ahead of their time: Herbert Marcus, Carrie Marcus-Neiman (Herbert’s sister) and Al Neiman (Carrie’s husband). New to retailing, the Neiman-Marcus team established their original store in Dallas Texas and actually made a profit in their very first year.

The fabulous-three developed a solid business plan to deliver only the finest ready-made fashions along with customer service beyond compare!

Stanley Marcus, Herbert's son, later entered the scene and took the firm to a whole new level. He joined NM in the 1920's. His imagination and drive brought the store to new heights in the fashion retail industry.

Then it happened! Stanley and his brother Edward came up with an advertising scheme that proved to be shear genius. They created the "His and Her Christmas Gifts" as part of their Christmas Book collection. These were extraordinarily unique, frivolous and luxurious gifts way beyond the reach of the average person. But what fun to look at, think about and talk about! In fact, everyone was talking about them!

The brainstorm actually started in 1957 when famed journalist Edward R. Murrow called Stanley Marcus to ask if his store had any unique offerings for Christmas. The "wheels started turning" and Marcus blurted out that they were selling a Black Angus bull (live or slaughtered) along with a silver barbeque cart! Pricetag? a little over $1,900.00! It drew instant curiousity and so much attention that the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book's Fantasy Gifts were born.

Some of the more notable "His and Hers" and "Fantasy Gifts":

• His and Her Hot Air Balloons (1964)
• Two authentic ancient Eqyptian coffins, mummies included? $16,000.00 (1970's)
• Matching His & Hers Airplanes (early 1960's) $176,000 for the pair
• Monopoly Game made of milk chocolate (1978) $600.00
• Shar-Pei Puppies (1987)
• Pair of His & Hers Robots (2003) $400,000
• In celebration of 50 years of the His & Hers gifts, NM offered a Metro Ship Houseboat for $250,000.00

This year's offerings include:

• Romantic "Dancing Fountains" -- price a mere $1,000,000.00!
• Limited Edition Ferrari FF -- $395,000.00 (Hey, it's a Ferrari!)
• Speed Boat -- The Neiman Marcus Edition of the Hacker Speedboat-- $250,000.00
• Fantasy Tent -- you've got to see it. Check out the video clip above! --$75,000.00

There are a number of ways in which you can tap into the rich pleasure of shopping at Neiman Marcus:

Visit their stores: there are 41 Neiman Marcus Stores in the U.S.

Shop online: Neiman Marcus has a great website for all of your shopping needs.

Shop through their catalog: to obtain a catalog, visit the store nearest you or contact their customer service department.

Ever heard the Legend of the $250.00 Cookies? Though just a myth or urban legend, it has been a fun story--and excellent chocolate chip cookie recipe--circulating the internet and print media for years! Of course they are the best cookies! They were named after Neiman Marcus.

Sinea Pies is a freelance writer for a popular parenting magazine and professional blogger who writes about organizing, cleaning, parent & family, recipes and pets on Ducks 'n a Row.

Please feel free to leave a comment or subscribe to her HubPages RSS feed to be updated on new hubs and articles that she publishes. Click for more: Sinea's profile