Ancestral Footsteps is a British company that tailors a vacation to one's family history. The company researches a client's family tree, then helps retrace that history, arranging a tour of sites important to one's ancestors, with the researcher as a tour guide. Prices start at about $20,000 for a five-day trip.
To help travelers get where they want to go, a Flexjet 25 Jet Card could be a convenient gift item, concierges say. The program, operated by U.S. air carrier Jet Solutions, offers cardholders benefits from Executive Golfer, Abercrombie & Kent, Lake Austin Spa Resort, Korean Air and Qatar Airways. Recipients of any Flexjet 25 Jet Card product-such as the debit option, which starts at $100,000-will get access to as many private jet flight hours as they need on board a Learjet or Challenger aircraft. Rocks from space are valued partly on their distinctive size and shapes, and can sell for hundreds of thouands of dollards.
For a gift that is truly out of this world, purchase a meteor, suggests Wallin. In mid-October, Heritage Auctions put more than 125 meteorites on the block in New York City, bringing in more than $1 million. The centerpiece item was one of the largest moon rocks ever sold publicly.
Rocks from space are valued partly on their distinctive sizes and shapes, and can sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Children love opening holiday presents and Coleman has several recommendations for unique gifts for the youngest members of the family.
Designer Nika Zupanc, who has a showroom in Italy, creates chic, high-gloss, fiberglass three-wheeled cars for toddlers. The Konstantin B, selling for about $2,000, comes in five colors with a silver or gold windup key that serves as the seat back.
For the child who needs a place to stow the spoils from the tooth fairy, David Linley, the British designer, offers a tooth "piggy bank"-a rosewood or walnut box with an inlaid pig design in polished nickel.
For adults, a "fun" gift item could include Johnnie Walker's Diamond Jubilee whiskey commemorating the 60th anniversary of the reign of the Queen of England, priced at about $158,000. Using rare malt and grain Scotch whiskies distilled in 1952, John Walker & Sons' master blenders created this special whiskey for Queen Elizabeth herself, as well as 60 other bottles for sale. The scotch is bottleld in diamond-shaped Baccarat crystal decanters on a crystal base adorned with Britannia silver. The collars are also set with a half-carat diamond. The sets are sold with a pair of lead crystal glasses and a personalized commemorative book in a chest of oak and pine.
Several concierges said charitable donations are an excellent gift. One can combine a donation to a good cause with a special gift or experience like a meet and greet with Barbra Streisand by checking the array on www.charitybuzz.com or www.charityfolks.com.
If a celebrity interaction is the desired gift, or nothing else seems just right, it may be time to call a concierge.
"One of our clients is a big fan of the Jerry Seinfeld Show, and he especially loves the character of George Costanza's father played by Jerry Stiller," Fazio says. "Our request from his wife was to see if we could hire Jerry Stiller to surprise him at his birthday dinner. Within a few days, we had a signed contract from Mr. Stiller agreeing to come to our client's party. Needless to say, it was a big hit."