PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The cost of six geese-a-laying spiked considerably this year, while most of the items in the carol "The Twelve Days of Christmas," saw little to no increase, according to the 31st annual PNC Wealth Management Christmas Price Index.
A set of gifts in each verse of the song would set you back $27,673 in stores, an increase of less than $300 - or 1 percent - from last year. But shoppers turning to the Internet would see a bigger bump of about 8 percent over last year's online prices, bringing the set of gifts in each verse to $42,959. Buyers looking to purchase all the items each time they were mentioned in the song - 364 that is - would spend $116,273, a modest 1.4 percent increase from a year ago.
PNC's sources for the Christmas Price Index include retailers, the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia-based PHILADANCO and the Pennsylvania Ballet Company.
Here is a look at the full set of prices from PNC Wealth Management:
• Partridge, $20; last year: $15
• Pear tree, $188; last year: $184
• Two turtle doves, $125; last year: same
• Three French hens, $181; last year: $165
• Four calling birds (canaries), $600; last year: same
• Five gold rings, $750; last year: same
• Six geese-a-laying, $360; last year: $210
• Seven swans a-swimming, $7,000; last year: same
• Eight maids a-milking, $58; last year: same
• Nine ladies dancing (per performance), $7,553; last year: same
• 10 lords a-leaping (per performance), $5,348; last year: $5,243
• 11 pipers piping (per performance), $2,635; last year: same
• 12 drummers drumming (per performance), $2,855; last year: same
Online: www.pncchristmaspriceindex.com