BUSINESS 16 Walworth County Sunday Sunday, December 23, 2007 Place Your Ad Today!! TTOM OM BB UTENHOFF TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS Cost of Christmas up 3 percent Not surprisingly, the significantly higher price of gold and increased compensation for minimum wage workers has made Christmas more expensive this year, according to the PNC Christmas Price Index. This tongue-in-cheek economic analysis is based on the cost of gifts in the holiday classic, “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” According to the 23rd annual survey, the cost this year is $19,507, a 3.1 percent increase over last year. “Each year, the Christmas Price Index reflects trends in the broader economy,” said James Dunigan, managing executive of investments for PNC Wealth Management. “This year, increased commodities prices, concerns about the value of the dollar, and the first minimum wage increase in 10 years were major factors in the increases to the Christmas Price Index.” True loves will have to pay a bit more for the five gold rings this year. Said Dunigan, “The cost of the gold ... the eight maidsa-milking make minimum wage, and have not had an increase since 1997. rings in this year’s Christmas Price Index reflects the general trend of increasing commodity prices in the Consumer Price Index, including gold. In addition, increased fears about inflation and the value of the dol- lar may have led investors to turn to gold as a safer place to invest their money.” The price of five gold rings now totals $395, a 21.5 percent increase over last year’s price, but still nowhere close to 1989 prices, when the five gold rings hit an all-time high of $750. As the only unskilled laborers in the Christmas Price Index, the eight maids-a-milking make minimum wage, and have not had an increase since 1997. This year, Congress increased their wages by 13.6 percent, bringing the cost of eight maids-a-milking for one hour to $46.80. The true love will have to reach deeper into his pockets for the milkmaids in 2008 and 2009 as well, since Congress already has approved additional increases to the minimum wage for the next two years. The cost of most performers in the index rose a modest 3 percent to 4 percent, due primarily to an increase in compensation that reflects a current labor market with unemployment below 5 percent. Among the feathered friends in the Christmas Price Index, the most notable development is a 20 percent increase in the price for six geese-a-laying. Said Dunigan, “For true loves planning to serve a Christmas goose for a holiday meal, this item will be a bit more expensive. Food prices have increased over the last year, which has had an impact on birds traditionally served as food.” Most of the other bird prices in the index didn’t change much from last year, thanks to steady supply and demand for partridges, turtle doves, French hens and swans. For those True Loves who prefer to do their shopping online, the trend is an overall price increase of of 3 percent. The opinions above are those of Tom Butenhoff and not necessarily of this paper or Stifel Nicolaus. Write to him in care of Stifel Nicolaus, 330 E. Kilbourn Ave., Suite 250, Milwaukee, WI 53202. A CHANGE OF ‘SCENE’RY Store offers designer fashions, gently used items Business name: Scene II Consignment Boutique Owner: Penny Gillihan Address: 237 E. Walworth Ave., Delavan. Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday. Phone: (262) 728-9640 Type of business: Scene II is a resale clothing boutique for the whole family. I also sell accessories and collectibles. When did the business open? The store was opened in 1981 by Delores Rubly. Why did you start this business? Resale shopping was always a fun experience for me, and I love working with the public. This job is the perfect fit for me. How did you get into this line of work? I was always a resale shopper and frequently shopped at Scene II in Elkhorn. When the owner needed help, I applied. I purchased the Delavan store from Pam Pierson in March 1999. What types of products or services does your business offer? I have many consignors who bring me everything from designer fashions to everyday clothing for men, women and children. New items and gently used accessories like shoes, boots and purses also are available. I have a large BY AMY RATH STAFF WRITER DELAVAN — Christmas came a few weeks early this year for Frank Nappe. The Elkhorn resident is the grandprize winner of <strong>Community</strong> <strong>Shoppers</strong>’ Pick the Pros football contest. Nappe received his prize, a 42-inch Panasonic plasma high-definition television, Dec. 14 at Sears in Lake Geneva. “I could not believe I won when they called and told me,” Nappe said. “It was a regular Tuesday afternoon; my wife was watching television while I played solitaire, when they called and surprised us with the news that we had won.” This is the first year CSI has sponsored the Pick the Pros contest. Director of Circulation Chris Wilhelms organized the promotion and sorted through the weekly entries. “This was something I had seen done at a previous newspaper I had worked for, and thought it could be good for CSI,” Wilhelms said. “We decided to run the contest for 14 weeks, so that we could give out the prize in time for Christmas.” Each week, contestants predicted the winners of 14 football games. Participants were ranked based on how many games they correctly picked throughout the season. Nappe and his family employed a team strategy in an effort to win the AMY RATH/STAFF Scene II owner Penny Gillihan stands next to a display of wool and fur winter coats inside her downtown Delavan store. Scene II offers a variety of items for men, women and children on a consignment basis. BUSINESS PROFILE selection of leather and fur coats and jackets, and a fabulous array of jewelry, from 14-karat gold and sterling silver to costume and vintage pieces. What has been your biggest challenge in your business? My biggest challenge has been keeping the quality and variety of what I offer outstanding, and the prices affordable for the bargain hunter. What aspect of the business do TV. “My son-in-law and I would get together each week and pick our teams,” he said. “We would make sure we had different predictions for him, myself and my wife, in hopes one of us would at least be right.” His son-in-law, Gary Wuhrman, finished a close second in the season-long contest, trailing Nappe by two points. In the spirit of the holidays, Nappe decided to give the television to Wuhrman. “They have a bigger living room than we do, and we really don’t need one so big,” Nappe said. “So I told him he could have it, and we are going to take his old one since it is newer than ours.” The TV is one of the more popular units sold at Sears, store owner Chuck you enjoy most? I enjoy meeting and helping new people every day. I have made many lasting friendships through the business. From what cities do your customers come? Many of my customers are from the Delavan, Elkhorn, Lake Geneva and Janesville areas. But I also have many loyal customers and consignors from the Milwaukee and Chicago suburbs. What are your future plans for the business? I hope to continue making the resale experience fun and rewarding for my customers and giving them the individual attention they deserve. An extra gift under the Christmas tree Elkhorn man wins ‘Pick the Pros’ prize AMY RATH/STAFF Pick the Pros contest winner Frank Nappe, second from right, is congratulated by CSI General Manager Dan Pyfer, left, Sears owner Chuck Platts and CSI Special Sections/Projects Manager Diane Greenlee. Platts said. He added that he was happy to participate when CSI approached him about providing the prize. “I think this contest is a lot of fun for the community, and it is a great way to get people geared up for the football season,” he said. “Panasonic is a very popular brand, and this is a great television that I would love to have in my own home.” Other contest sponsors were A+ Power Sports, Lake Geneva Country Meats, Country Ford of Lake Geneva, Two Seasons Bowl in Elkhorn, Verlo Mattress Factory Store in Lake Geneva, Mielke’s Sentry, Slumberland in Delavan, Subway of Delavan, Walworth and Williams Bay, Zingg Motor Corp. and Maxxx Motorsports. ‘I THINK THIS CONTEST IS ... A GREAT WAY TO <strong>GET</strong> PEOPLE GEARED UP FOR THE FOOTBALL SEASON.’ — CHUCK PLATTS, OWNER, SEARS OF LAKE GENEVA AND DELAVAN
Place Your Ad Today!! Walworth County Sunday Sunday, December 23, 2007 17 WALWORTH COUNTY SUNDAY PHOTO Clockwise, from the left, Rachel Iler, Wendy Hill, Abbey Hill and Joanna Erber enjoy the Victorian Christmas Evening hosted each December by the village of Sharon. Dec. 23, 2007
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