PNC bank is inviting people to build their own virtual gifts based on the items in the Twelve Days of Christmas carol for the chance to win a 3D printed version of their creation.
Every year PNC publishes its Christmas Price Index, calculating the cost of the the gifts named in the classic holiday song.
In 2013 the index surged 7.7%, with anyone seeking to buy all the items having to fork over $27,393.17. While the cost of 'seven swans-swimming' stayed steady at $7000, 'nine ladies dancing' saw their value jump 20% to $6294.03.
This year PNC has built a fancy interactive Web site where visitors can create their own versions of the 12 gifts and enter a draw for the chance to have them 3D printed using a MakerBot machine and delivered in time for Christmas.
Launched in 1984, the index gathers data from retailers, the National Aviary in Pittsburgh and the Philadelphia-based Philadanco and Pennsylvania Ballet Company. The bank provides lesson plans for schools, which use the index to teach economic trends.