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’12 Days of Christmas’ Items’ Costs Rise 10.8 Percent to Nearly $100,000

Nov. 29, 2010 12:51pm Jonathon M. Seidl

PITTSBURGH (AP) — In the unlikely event that your Christmas list this year includes every item mentioned in “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” be prepared to pay nearly $100,000.

Trying to buy the 364 items repeated in all the song’s verses — from 12 drummers drumming to a partridge in a pear tree — would cost $96,824, an increase of 10.8 percent over last year, according to the annual Christmas Price Index compiled by PNC Wealth Management.

So you might want to try for one of everything. That would cost only $23,439, or 9.2 percent more than last year.

The 27th annual holiday index has historically mirrored the national Consumer Price Index, but not this year. The PNC Christmas Price Index grew 9.2 percent from last year, compared with just a 1.1 percent increase in the much broader Consumer Price Index.

Jim Dunigan, managing executive of investment for PNC Wealth Management, said that’s because the whimsical holiday price index looks at a much smaller group of goods and services. Even within the index itself, there are some goods that have seen small increases and others that have seen larger ones, he said.

Also, gold prices are high — which pushed the cost of five gold rings up 30 percent to $649.95 — as was the cost of hiring entertainers. Not to mention the birds.

“There’s no doubt that our feathered friends in general make up a good portion of the increase,” Dunigan said. The price of feed and availability led to a 78.6 percent increase in the price of two turtle doves, to $100, and a whopping 233 percent increase in the cost of three french hens, to $150.

Dunigan said that higher prices aren’t necessarily a bad thing.

“The good news is that the economy is improving, and we are starting to see some pockets of price increases, as long as the total basket is controlled,” he said.

Only four of the 12 gifts in the song didn’t go up in price from last year: the pear tree ($149, not including the partridge), four calling birds ($599.96), six geese ($150) and the eight maids-a-milking ($58).

The most expensive item on the list was $6,294.03 to hire nine ladies dancing, a 15 percent increase from last year. The cheapest was $12 for one patridge, a 20 percent increase.

PNC Financial Services Group Inc. checks jewelry stores, dance companies, pet stores and other sources to compile the list. Some of its sources this year include the National Aviary in Pittsburgh and the Philadelphia-based Pennsylvania Ballet Company.

The annual index is also used in middle and high schools across the country to teach economic trends.

The company’s website includes an MP3 download, games and more about the index.

On the Net:

http://www.pncchristmaspriceindex.com

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Comments (33)

FLBear
Posted on November 30, 2010 at 10:04am
Now this is an important story….NOT. Who really give a schitt. A story on how our Troops enjoyed their Thanksgiving Day far from home would be more substantive.

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silentwatcher
Posted on November 29, 2010 at 9:50pm
Every government dollar printed and dumped into the economy cheapens the one in your pocket. Kinda seems like stealing from you, doesn’t it? the cheapening of our pocket dollars makes buying power more expensive. That’s called inflation. It’s happening now and won’t stop until uncle Sam stops dumping into the system.

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- M31Sailor
  Posted on December 1, 2010 at 1:07pm
  Sam
  
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sawman
Posted on November 29, 2010 at 4:07pm
And the powers that be tell the social security folks that there is no inflation, therefore, no cost of living raise. That’s BS. Of course they don’t know how much a loaf of bread costs, or a gallon of milk.
Everything has gone up in price, but they say it hasn’t. How can they say it?

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TEIN
Posted on November 29, 2010 at 2:32pm
Real simple econimics….Feds add more money into system=inflation..Feds take money out of system=depression…Fed stay out of system=prosperity….

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moreteaplease
Posted on November 29, 2010 at 2:24pm
I have my family and my health and that’s all I need….and neither are made in China! Must be why they have lasted so long.

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mikem1969
Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:33pm
But according to obamanomics, there is no inflation and the economy is good. LOL

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- moreteaplease
  Posted on November 29, 2010 at 2:28pm
  Well if we are using Obamanomics as an economic gauge then everything does look great since breaking our economy is one of his chief goals. Yeah, I guess I can see how everything looks peaches and cream to him.
  
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Conserving Ink
Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:26pm
How does one price a Leaping Lord?
__________________________________________________________
http://conserving-ink.blogspot.com

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- MeteoricLimbo
  Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:48pm
  Priceless.
  
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ChiefGeorge
Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:22pm
Soon only the very rich will be singing that song.

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PorchMonkey
Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:21pm
You can keep the Lords a Leaping……………..

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J.C. McGlynn
Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:19pm
After having a stroke, being able to wake up in the morning, walk and talk is good enough for me.

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- MeteoricLimbo
  Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:25pm
  Thank you J.C. McGlynn
  
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- Fox
  Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:29pm
  I completely understand what you’re saying — my father had his second heart attack earlier this year, and survived a quadruple bypass. I’m just glad he’s still here for Christmas. It really keeps everything in perspective…
  
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MeteoricLimbo
Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:13pm
Broke can be a good thing for the soul.

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- silentwatcher
  Posted on November 29, 2010 at 9:45pm
  been there before,,,,and you are right. But I worked too hard all my life being careful and doing without to establish a retirement. I’m almost there and they want to minimize it or take it away. I don’t want to go through that again.
  
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GhostOfJefferson
Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:13pm
However, the best thing about Christmas is still absolutely free, and the best gift of all.

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- untameable-kate
  Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:26pm
  You are absolutely right about that. Just this past weekend I was walking through the snow on the Mogollon rim in search of a Christmas tree and I wouldn’t trade that for all the ‘stuff’ in the world.
  
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- snowleopard3200 {mix art}
  Posted on November 29, 2010 at 2:20pm
  @Untamable Kate
  
  Try the area north of Christopher Creek, or around the Deadhorse Campground of the upper little Verde River. You may have to hunt for a time, but the pines are good to locate a 5-6 foot high tree fit for someones home. Also the fishing is just as good.
  
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silentwatcher
Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:08pm
The prices of EVERYTHING has slowly and quietly gone up considerably in the last two years (remember the boiling frog story?) Compare prices for anything today to that of two years ago and it’s surprising. We’ve had inflation and it’s not been mentioned much in the news,,,,and now that it’s in the news and no longer quiet, it will get NOTICEABLY costlier.

Brace yourself.

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J.C. McGlynn
Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:07pm
Cheapest thing listed is the most labor intensive.

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- J.C. McGlynn
  Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:10pm
  Forgot to mention: The maids are non-union. No wonder they work so cheap!
  
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- olduffer
  Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:57pm
  And the Federal Govt. keeps burgeoning…called my Senators (Both Dems) this morning to urge them to vote against S.510 the Food Safety Bill, that will be voted on this evening. Both replied that they will be supporting it…America has the safest, most abundant, cheapest, food in the World (which I pointed out to them) but it makes no difference. Their agenda to “collapse the system” no matter what message voters send, will not be deterred.
  
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- WAR PIGS CRAWLING
  Posted on November 29, 2010 at 10:12pm
  The pear tree has fire blight, the workers are undocumented, the birds tested positive for avian influenza, and the gold rings turned out to be iron pyrite. Must be a socialists Christmas.
  
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MeteoricLimbo
Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:04pm
To heck with the Partridge. Give Pear Trees!

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- snowleopard3200 {mix art}
  Posted on November 29, 2010 at 2:18pm
  Will be a good idea until the new S 510 bill passes and adds one more element of the HSA to destroy and enslave America for good.
  
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- MeteoricLimbo
  Posted on November 29, 2010 at 3:55pm
  sad when one needs to hide natures seeds……
  
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Bobby P
Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:59pm
But that’s impossible! The government says there is no inflation!

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- untameable-kate
  Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:06pm
  Of course there isn’t any inflation, the government would not lie to us, right? QE2 will fix everything. Nothing to see here, move along.
  
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- snowleopard3200 {mix art}
  Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:06pm
  Soros singing “On the ten days of Christmas it came to me, just how to destory the American economy…I got Obama elected, but the people did they rejected…so now I have to make it on my own, just need to toss them a bone…”
  
  (Phone rings:”Hello, Spooky dude here, overlord of Amercia soon to be…”
  
  (Secretary: “Master Spooky dude, Mr Beck has sent you a copy of his best seller “Broke” he has it signed and has a message attached reading “And so you will be too. Broke.”
  
  They say the screaming from his fortress of supreme evil went on for hours into the night.
  
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- Oh, God!
  Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:20pm
  I told my husband that what we spent on Christmas last year for our kids, we would have to spend more to get the same amount. Black Friday was a rip-off, there were definitely better deals last year. My dilemma is, how do you explain to your kids, that are 10, 6, 4, and 2, that Santa does not exist and they may not get much this year. No easy way to do it…Now maybe Santa can find Mom a job, since she has pretty much given up looking for one. Miracles do happen, right?
  
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- tower7femacamp
  Posted on November 29, 2010 at 6:42pm
  If you can keep your house 1st
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Xi3w8XnYPw
  
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