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Father's day: $10 tie or $35,000 ball park 'experience'
For Father's Day, give dear ol' Dad an experience he'll never forget, such as a giftcard for 25-hours of private air travel or an air combat dogfight if he loves the adrenaline rush.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - Scratch the tie, the cheesy "I love D-A-D" mug and the DVD set of the "Sopranos." If you want to see a genuine smile on Dad's face this Father's Day, send him NASCAR driving in Dallas. If he's an adrenalin junkie, send him into an air combat dog fight.
Or, maybe Dad's a more mellow fellow and he'd really appreciate a day of peace and tranquility on a boat in an idyllic setting somewhere in Vermont. Here's a thought: Treat him to a weekend fly-fishing trip. Traditional gifts can become boring. But with these "experiential" type of gifts, chances are that the memories of these one-in-a-lifetime kind of treats will last longer, said Michelle Geib, president of New Jersey-based Xperience Days. The company specializes in offering unique gift packages. In addition to the NASCAR, air combat and fly-fishing options, Geib singled out three exceptionally unique treats for Dad. The first is a pricey $35,000 " Day in the ballpark" package which includes watching a game at Wrigley Field with Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg. The second is a slightly more affordable $3,500 "One on One" against Eddie House of the Phoenix Suns on a private basketball court. And the third is an $18,000 gift of the "Ultimate game of golf" with former NBA player Steve Kerr. Geib admits that dream gifts do tend to come at a hefty cost. The good news is that the National Retail Federation said consumers are feeling generous with gift money this year despite all the talk about gas prices eating into consumers' discretionary incomes. The group estimates spending on Father's Day gifts will rise to $9B from $8.2B last year. Even so, the average person is expected to spend only $88.80 on gifts for Dad, compared to the $122.16 spent earlier this year on Mom. That's certainly not enough to buy him his "dream." Geib disagrees. "We get a broad range of customers. Some customers are able to but these gifts on a whim,. But many others have saved up for years or have decided not to go on vacation that year so that they can give their loved ones something very special," she said. So if you're determined to go all out for Dad no matter the cost, here's another idea that might blow him away. For about $116, 000, you can buy him a Marquis Jet Card for 25 hours of private flight time. "It is pricey but Dad can take up to seven people non-stop from New York to Miami to his favorite golf course," said Ken Dichter, CEO and co-founder of Marquis Jet. See more Father's Day "dream gifts." ------------------------------- |
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