NEW YORK (AP) – You’d have to live in one of those vintage Manhattan apartment buildings with extra-high ceilings to make it fit – and even then, it might not fit your budget.

We’re talking about the asking price for some of the tallest Christmas trees this season – as much as $400 for a 12-foot Canadian balsam.

“This is New York,” a resigned Kevin Cruse told the Daily News as he and sons Devin, 5, and Taylor, 1, snatched up a 7-foot tree for a mere $100 on the Upper East Side.

The $400 12-footer was offered in Tribeca – seemingly a bargain compared to a 10-footer priced at $395 at the Chelsea Garden Center, the News reported.

‘Outrageous’

“Hundred of dollars is outrageous,” said Sophia Koulomzin, 27, of Brooklyn, who spent $25 for a 2-foot Christmas bush.

“People think, ‘These guys spend $5 on a tree and make $100,’ and it’s not true,” countered Scott Gartland, manager of the Tribeca lot. “You can do the math of how much money I’m not making.”

Gartland said his prices have held steady for 10 years, despite the $3-a-gallon diesel fuel he uses to run a generator.

And he pointed out that his inventory includes trees for as little as $30.

Jonathan Felch, 39, conceded the $200 he was prepared to pay Gartland for an 8-foot tree was far beyond the $40 or $50 he was used to paying in his native New Hampshire, where there are a lot of trees.

But “it’s New York City, and they deliver, so I’m not complaining.”


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