What do you get for the person who has everything? Well, maybe you buy him a piece of history. The U.S. Marshals Service has done all the hard work, and now you can take advantage of it... maybe even at discount prices! Possessions seized from Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff are set to go under the gavel in New York City on Saturday, so bring your checkbook and your appetite for luxury. The money will be used to compensate the victims of Madoff's crimes.

MasterCard Advisors (NYSE: MA) service SpendingPulse says luxury and electronics sales headed upward last month, in a pleasant deviation from what became the norm all too long ago. A few other product categories posted gains as well – showing stability, if not a recovery. But, at this stage of the game, we'll take what we can get, right?

Luxury sales, not including jewelry, gained 3.4% year-over-year – that's an increase of $891 million. Last September, luxury goods suffered a 9.4% decline. Yet, this category is still below its September 2005 level of $94 million. Jewelry sales gained 1.2% relative to last year, compared to a year-over-year decline of 5.8% a year ago. Compared to apparel sales, this is a profound turn. In September 2008, the clothing category was off 5.7%, and this September, it was down only 2.9%.

Tiffany & Co. (NYSE: TIF) reported its first quarter results this morning, matching analyst estimates with 20 cents per share on lower sales. This marks a 60% drop year over year compared with the 50 cents per share that it earned during its first quarter of 2008.

As I noted in our earnings preview yesterday, the luxury jewelry retailer is facing some tough times. Consumers have been cutting back on spending, and this is being felt by all retailers. Tiffany has been no exception.

This post is one in a series on prominent company nicknames. See all 25, and share your thoughts and memories about Needless Markup below in the comments.

Neiman Marcus may be the most successful upscale retail department chain that selected shoppers love to hold a grudge against.

The chain caters to primarily female, upper-income and upper-middle shoppers, and features designer lines that rival boutique (and beyond) price levels.

Further, while some of the products are decidedly exclusive, some are not or appear to not be, according to shoppers, but the prices of these items remain in the stratosphere, and it is for this reason that the store was tagged with the nickname "Needless Markup."

Here's a classic example. About a year ago Marie Lang, sister of yours truly, was searching for a leather shoulder bag. She found a medium brown, designer bag she liked for $1,200 at Neiman Marcus. However, being a discerning/critical comparison shopper, Marie of course took a few days to scout the competition.

The result? She found a comparable shoulder bag at Bloomingdale's for $595. Had she been willing to take a slightly smaller bag, she could have secured one for $395.

In a market dancing in bear market territory and with elevated inflation, it certainly doesn't hurt to own a defensive stock or two. And one that fits the bill, with an inflation hedge as a bonus, is Barrick Gold (NYSE: ABX).

Barrick Gold is the world's number one gold producer, with a 2007 production capacity of 8.1 million ounces, and 124.6 million ounces in proved/probable reserves. Analysts see a 20-30% revenue gain in 2008 for ABX, following a solid performance in 2007, due to a higher average gold price and increased production.

What's behind the gold bull market? Three factors: 1) increased use of gold in industrial and commercial applications, 2) rising demand for gold jewelry, and 3) increased reliance on gold and gold shares as an alternative investment. All three trends show only modest signs of abating in 2008. Asia-based jewelry demand looks especially promising in the immediate years ahead. The Reuters F2008/F2009 EPS consensus estimates for ABX are $2.43/$2.60.