A Very Buffett Christmas
A One-Stop Conglomerate Shop
"Anyone who says money can't buy happiness simply hasn't learned where to shop." -- Warren Buffett, writing in the 2010 Berkshire Hathaway shareholder letter.
Buffett directed that bon mot at the 40,000 or so minions who attend the firm's annual meeting in Omaha, exhorting them to shop early and often among Berkshire Hathaway subsidiaries that ply their wares at the get-together. That got us thinking: Would it be possible to polish off a holiday shopping list sticking solely to products manufactured or sold by the 52 Berkshire Hathaway subsidiaries?
Yes. And how.
Bloomberg.com presents the first annual, absolutely unofficial Berkshire Hathaway Christmas catalog.
Berkshire Hathaway Bling
Along with Omaha's own Borsheims jewelry and gift emporium (acquired by BRK in 1989), Berkshire's bling portfolio includes Helzberg Diamonds (1995), Ben Bridge Jeweler (2000) and Richline Group (2007), which operates a dozen jewelry brands.
Buffettphiles may consider sticking with Borsheims, given its starring role at the annual meeting. It opens solely for shareholders one day of the weekend-long meeting; Buffett himself did some selling at last year's confab.
Adrienne Fay, director of marketing and advertising at Borsheims, says anything Cartier is hot these days, especially watches. At last year's Berkshire annual meeting, a trio of freshwater cultured pearl bracelets ($25 for three) was the runaway jewelry hit.
Sustainable Giving
Buffett likes the color of money -- and Berkshire Hathaway companies offer a number of "green" products for consumers to spend money on.
Pampered Chef (2002) offers dozens of products made from sustainable bamboo, including Bamboo Prep Towels ($17.50 for two) and a Bamboo Snack Set ($45).
Kingston, part of the Scott Fetzer Company (1986), says giving yourself an air blow after a shower with the Kingston KAT2 Body Dryer(MSRP $3,995; four- to six-week lead time) is more enviro-friendly than toweling off.
And for those with $80,000 or so to spend, there's the line of modular i-houses built by Clayton Homes (2003) offering "sustainable, eco-friendly living." (Price doesn't include land, foundation, delivery, etc.)
Sweet Deals
Looking for a classic box o' chocolates? See's Candies' (1972) two bestsellers are 1-pound boxes of Assorted Chocolates ($16.50) and Nuts and Chews ($16). It expects to sell more than 1 million pounds of each this holiday season.
At this year's BRK annual meeting, See's sold more than 13,000 pounds of candy. For a sugar-load-like-a-billionaire gift, go for See's Peanut Brittle ($15.90 for a 1-pound, 8-ounce box). On the day Buffett and Charlie Munger hit the stage at Berkshire's annual meeting, See's sold more than 2,000 pounds of Peanut Brittle in 10 hours, helped by some killer marketing: Warren and Charlie nibbled on it as they fielded shareholder questions.
Just Desserts
If your sugar fiend likes his sweetness cold, how about a gift certificate from International Dairy Queen, purchased by BRK in 1998? Or, if you're looking for something crunchy-delicious,Karmelkorn (owned by IDQ) delivers. The Gatlinburg, Tenn., outpost of Karmelkorn offers 10 different holiday-patterned 3-gallon tins ($38).
Maybe you prefer to sauce it up. In that case, Pampered Chef (2002) offers a trifecta ofDecadent Dessert Sauces (Chocolate Peppermint, Chocolate Caramel and Chocolate Peanut Butter; all three for $28.50).
Gifts of Book Value
World Book, a division of the Scott Fetzer Company, offers perhaps one of the most fitting holiday gifts for children: "'Twas the Night Before Christmas," with your voice narrating ($19.95).
For year-round reading, the 2012 version of the iconic World Book Encyclopedia was recently on sale for $989. Or go for a simpler gift to get a kid's head out of the books -- Fruit of the Loom's Spalding has just about every ball a kid could want.
Mix-and-match Garanimals outfits (BRK bought Garan Inc. in 2002) and underwear from Berkshire subsidiary Fruit of the Loom (2002) are other gift option for kids: Girls' briefs include Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants characters; for boys, there's Scooby-Doo and Marvel superheroes.
Well-Heeled Gifts
H.H. Brown (bought in 1991) owns 19 shoe brands including Born and Dexter. One gift idea could be a pair of Western boots from one of Justin Brands' (2000) lines -- Justin Boots, Tony Lama and Nocona. One thousand pairs of Justin Boots sold in one day at this year's BRK annual meeting.
Justin Brands Vice President Lisa Lankes says women preferred pointed-toe boots in any shade of black or brown (with color only at the top) while men were out to make a statement with colorful exotics made from ostrich and caiman. Perhaps a Tony Lama Signature boot in Black Cherry Belly Antique Caiman ($999)?
DIY Gift-Giving
BRK has plenty for the DIY-er in your life. For some people, the 62-piece Air Tool Kit ($125) from Campbell Hausfeld (a Scott Fetzer company) packs the same rush of endorphins as a box of See's sweets does for the chocoholic. Or pair a Campbell Hausfeld One Touch Airless Paint Sprayer (about $480 for a 3/4-horsepower model) with a gift certificate to the local Benjamin Moore paint dealer (2001).
There's also Acme Brick (2000), which will fire up engraved pavers with your personalized message ($15 per brick plus shipping; 10-week lead time).
Holiday Bargain-Hunting
No, we're not talking about undervalued stocks. Rather, a full lineup of hunting gear for the outdoor types on your list, courtesy of Russell Outdoors, which is owned by Fruit of the Loom. Perhaps his and her Drystalker Bib Overalls ($89.99 for him, $59.99 for her).
Cooking Up Gift Ideas
Consultants for Pampered Chef hold more than 1 million in-home cooking shows a year featuring its cookware, utensils and many more products to trick out the most discerning kitchen. Pampered Chef's Kate Johnson, coordinator of press relations, says recent top sellers among the company's 12 million annual customers include the multitasker Mix 'N Chop utensil($10.50), perennial favorite Food Chopper($31) and the classic Batter Bowl ($15.50).
A slightly more splashy kitchen gift could be a Ginsu knife set from Scott Fetzer subsidiary Douglas Quikut. At Amazon the top Ginsu seller is the Stainless Steel 14-piece set (on sale for $40 recently). You could also splurge for the top-of-the-line 15-piece Ginsu Hanaita Damascus set (on sale recently for $730).
Giving Hand in Glove
Wells Lamont, a division of Marmon Industries (BRK bought a 60 percent share in 2008), has more than 150 glove styles to choose from. The Ultimate Work Glove ($21 at Home Depot) is great for the multi-tasker, the Economy Suede cowhide ($8 for a two-pack) for gardening, and the Insulated High Visibility (as in shocking orange) PVC Gloves (about $8.50) for farmers. The Vapor Dry 2 Glove ($30), from Fruit of the Loom subsidiary Brooks, has a thumb flap for operating an iPhone or iPod without breaking stride.
Gifts for the Jet Set
Looking for that elusive je ne sais quoi for the titan of industry who has just about everything? NetJets' (1998) Marquis Jet Card entitles the recipient to 25 hours of flight time on a private seven-passenger Hawker 400XP. The starting price is $115,900, or a bit more than the value of one share of BRK.A.
If you're looking for a more grounded gift, Forest River (2005) has a wide lineup of recreational vehicles, from ATVs to its luxury motor home, the Berkshire (MSRP starting around $225,000 for the 39-foot Class A model).
Wearing BRK on Your Sleeve
Uniform manufacturer Fechheimer Brothers (1986) has been in the business of outfitting police, firefighters and even umpires since 1842. It is also the exclusive distributor of the niche Berkshire Hathaway Activewear Collection of more than three dozen apparel items (and tchotchkes) emblazoned with the Berkshire Hathaway name.
Fechheimer's Sales Vice President Dan Balzofiore says about 80 percent of BRK merchandise moves at the annual meeting. Top sellers are T-shirts, baseball caps and polo shirts tied to each meeting's theme. In 2011 that was Transportation ($15 for a long-sleeved T-shirt; $12 for short-sleeved).
There's also the $14 baseball cap with the Berkshire Hathaway Graph (moving ever upward, of course) for the smug friend who's made a killing on BRK.
Gifts for the Boating Set
Boaters may not want to leave shore without the AAA of the waterways, a membership inBoatU.S. (2007) towing service. The most popular deal, according to Assistant Vice President Scott Croft, is the Unlimited package. It's $59 a year for freshwater tows and $149 for saltwater tows (price includes required $24 membership in BoatU.S. or BoatU.S. Angler). For anglers, Douglas Quikut, part of Scott Fetzer, produces the American Angler line offillet knives, including a freshwater electric fillet knife that was recently selling for $36 on Amazon.
Gifts for Gamers
A stocking stuffer for the value-oriented card shark on your list: an official Berkshire Hathaway 2011 Commemorative Deck of Playing Cards($10). The King? You really need to ask? His royal Buffettness, of course. Sidekick Charlie Munger is your Jack.
For the puzzler, there's the Berkshire Hathaway Rubik's Cube with Warren and Charlie ($14 at Borsheims). And for some old-fashioned family fun with a Buffett twist, there's the Berkshire Hathaway edition of Monopoly ($18 at Borsheims).
Gifts for the Sporty Set
For hoops lovers, Spalding's The Beast basketball backboard system was on sale for $999.99 on Amazon recently. Spalding is a division of Fruit of the Loom. The company also has volleyball, tennis and badminton net systems.
For runners, Brooks (another part of the Fruit basket) has a wide lineup of footwear and gear. Perhaps the popular Unisex T7 Racer for the triathlete (ideal for the bike-to-run transition) or the Beast runner for men ($130). If you're gifting a weekend warrior near AARP eligibility, Fruit of the Loom subsidiary Bike has a sports medicine line -- choose from Elbow Support, Open Patella Knee Support, Tennis Elbow Support or a Jumper's Knee Strap.
Warren's Express
For the past 15 years, Borsheims has commissioned a special Christmas tree ornament for the Berkshire annual meeting. Borsheims' Adrienne Fay says these are popular collectibles among Buffett's followers. Keeping with the 2011 meeting's Transportation theme (planes: NetJets, trains: BNSF, automobiles: investment in Chinese electric car manufacturer BYD), this year's ornament, designed by Christopher Radko, is Warren's Express ($42).
Sharing the Wealth
No Berkshire Hathaway catalog, fictional or not, would be complete without a shout-out to the company stock. The news that BRK's board recently green-lighted its first stock repurchase program is a strong hint that Warren and Charlie think the price is right. Don't have a cool $114,000 for one BRK.A share? BRK.B, with limited voting rights, trades at a more budget-friendly $76 a share.
Company Profile
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is a holding company owning subsidiaries in a variety of business sectors. The Company's principal operations are insurance business conducted nationwide on a primary basis and worldwide on a reinsurance basis. Berkshire's other operations include a railway company, a specialty chemical company, and an international association of diversified businesses.
