There鈥檚 going to be a lot of budget-busting presents found under the Christmas tree, if the National Retail Federation鈥檚 prediction comes true.
The group said that for the first time, .
While tariffs, federal government cuts and the government shutdown may make some feel uneasy about breaking the bank during the holidays, others will shell out a lot to put a smile on their loved one鈥檚 face.
WTOP asked some shoppers at the Downtown D.C. Holiday Market two questions.
- What鈥檚 the most you鈥檝e spent on a Christmas gift?
- What鈥檚 the most expensive Christmas gift you鈥檝e received?
Sam Briggs and Connor Hawkins traveled from Hagerstown, Maryland, to spend the day in the nation鈥檚 capital.
鈥淢aybe my dad鈥檚 Yeti cooler,鈥� Briggs said.
The cooler was $300 or $400, from what Briggs remembers.
While Hawkins gave his mom a necklace from Kay Jewelers that she loved, it wasn’t worth as much as the $500 pair of Air Jordans she gave him.
鈥淚 was pretty happy that day,鈥� Hawkins said.
There are times we might not see eye to eye with the people we love the most, which is something Garry Anderson Jr. understands.
鈥淢e and my dad had been on and off,鈥� Anderson said.
So it blew him away when he opened his Christmas gift and it was an iMac.
鈥淚 started calling him more,鈥� Anderson said while laughing.
Of the many shops out at the holiday market, Savvy Scents by Sherrie sells candles, room sprays and diffusers.
If you look closely, you will see a picture of the mother of the owner, Sherrie Brown.
The most expensive gift Brown purchased for her mom?
鈥淚t was a couple years after my father passed away, and I took her on vacation,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淚 wanted her to experience everything that was great, from first class to a car picking us up.鈥�
Brown said her mom told her that her favorite part of the trip was spending time with her.
The most expensive gift she ever received, she said, was from an ex-boyfriend.
鈥淚t was a very expensive design designer bag,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淚t was about $1,200.鈥�
Laughing, Brown pointed out that she couldn鈥檛 be bought, and her love language is quality time.
Walking through the market were four friends from Winchester, Tennessee, and Kate Silver was part of the group.
鈥淭he most expensive gift that I鈥檝e ever gotten was a trip down the Rhine River,鈥� Silver said. 鈥淲e went through Germany, Poland and Czechoslovakia.鈥�
The trip cost $15,000, Silver said.
While Silver said she was on the nice list that year, her husband was not.
鈥淗e was on the naughty list, so he had to pay,鈥� Silver said.
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