Millionaires turning to Internet for that unique gift

By Jeff Wilson
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — Forget Wal-Mart's $29 DVD player or a drug store Chia pet.

Country star Alan Jackson's 1966 Excaliber SSK is offered in the DuPont Registry's holiday issue for $45,995, alongside Rod Stewart's Dodge Viper and Magic Johnson's custom Ford Escape SUV. Associated Press library photo

The DuPont Registry's holiday issue offers a warehouse of vehicles owned or previously owned by celebrities, including Rod Stewart's Dodge Viper ($54,995), Earvin "Magic" Johnson's custom Ford Escape SUV ($29,000), and country singer Alan Jackson's 1966 Excaliber ($45,995).

"Anyone can buy someone special wheels or a special paint job for the holidays, but cars of the stars carry a special panache that can be translated into dollars when it is time to sell," said Tom du Pont, publisher of the registry.

In the annual gift guide of the luxury lifestyle magazine Robb Report, conspicuous consumption connoisseurs preferring "new" instead of "used" can consider the 612-horsepower Porsche Carerra GT.

A $490,000 package featured in the publication includes the car, driving instructions by champion driver Hutley Haywood at California's Infineon Raceway, special Porsche luggage and lodging at Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa.

"People that can afford the car now have a package that features an entire driving experience," said Robb Report editor Larry Bean.

For opulent gift-giving, Robb Report also suggests:

• The 150-foot yacht Magnifica III ($22.7 million).
• The Cima del Mundo estate in Montecito, near Santa Barbara, Calif., built in 1924 by noted architect Myron Hunt. It features a 360-degree view of the Pacific Ocean ($40 million).
• A 15,000-square-foot home in Florida's exclusive Spruce Creek, the nation's first fly-in community, and two adjoining hangars with six aircraft ($45.7 million).

The DuPont Registry, a showcase for discriminating buyers, is also featuring a Mercedes-Benz CL500 formerly owned by receiver Marvin Harrison of the Indianapolis Colts. The white Mercedes is priced to sell at $69,850.

The publication suggests an 1865 Studebaker Carriage, a horse-drawn conveyance once owned by President Ulysses S. Grant. The money-is-no-object buyer will have to fork over $400,000.

Other highbrow stocking stuffers in the Robb Report's 20th annual Ultimate Gift Guide include:

• The 22-foot Deep Flight Aviator submarine ($1.7 million).
• A rare 18th-century Duke of Alba Stradivari violin crafted by Antonio Stradivari (just under $4 million).
• A two-week Athens vacation for 10 during the 2004 Olympics, with luxury accommodations aboard a yacht and tickets to the opening ceremony and two other major events.
• A Vacheron Constantin watch with 30 baguette-cut diamonds ($408,000) and a diamond jewelry collection — 452 carats' worth ($15 million).

"It's meant to be a fun list, and some of it is a little over the top," Bean said. "But we do get calls from people wanting us to put them in touch with the sellers."

The average annual income of a Robb Report reader is about $1.5 million, with an average net worth of more than $5 million.