ON THE TOWN:Drop everything and shop -- you too, guys

Christmas is exactly 30 days away, not counting today. For most of the guys reading this column, that means that their holiday shopping will begin in exactly 29 days.

I’m not sure what it is with guys and shopping, but I think many men have gotten a bad rap over the years.

It just so happens that I like to shop. And I’m pretty good at it too. The day after Christmas, it is a personal tradition of mine to power shop South Coast Plaza. I enjoy it and usually come up with some relevant gifts for the relatives we’ll see later that day.

Oh yes, and I save some money, too, but that’s just gravy.

Guys who like to shop are in the closet. It’s not exactly manly to want to compare notes on the deal you got on a new pair of pants or reveal that the type of dress shirt you favor is cut a little slimmer and doesn’t fit like a tent like most men’s dress shirts.

Male shoppers discuss those things in hushed tones and only with people they know will understand their excitement.

My oldest brother, Michael, would not understand. Michael doesn’t like to shop, and when he does, it is usually through an online catalog.

A couple of New York trips ago, Michael told me that he had recently been standing in front of the mirror brushing his teeth, dressed in his professional clothes — nice pants, a nice dress shirt, tie and jacket.

He lifted his arm and noticed that one of the elbows was getting threadbare. Then he lifted the other one and noticed that it was getting thin too.

Then he checked his shoes and realized that after 20 years, they were ready to go.

Now before you start wondering what line of work my brother is in that he can’t afford to replace a jacket and is wearing really old shoes, you should know that he is a psychologist and makes a very good living.

In other words, the price of clothing is not an obstacle. My brother just hates to shop.

In Oklahoma City last weekend, I was teaching some marketing principles to a small group that had paid for the privilege.

Two of the attendees were Cheryl and Mehrdad Emami.

During one of the breaks, I mentioned that I was going to New York again and planned on shopping in a few specific areas that I missed the last time.

“I’m one of the few guys in the world who actually likes to shop,” I told the Emamis.

Cheryl lighted up like a Christmas tree. “Mehrdad likes to shop!” she said.

So for the next few minutes, we compared notes on stores and styles.

Now I’m reading that this holiday season may be a little soft due to a stagnating housing market. In my opinion, you may as well have based that opinion on whether the price of pickles is going down.

There is already evidence that this season will be strong. One event that points to a solid season was the recent crashing of Wal-Mart’s website due to demand.

Another was the line outside any store that was expecting to receive inventory on the new PlayStation 3, a videogame console. Sony has even been accused of purposely withholding inventory in order to artificially increase demand and create a buzz.

There were people here in Orange County who were camping out to be one of the first to get a PlayStation, and there were people camping out in Oklahoma City, as well. Lots of them.

Sony’s gambit, if it is true, could backfire too. Each year, for example, I write two “hot gifts” stories for a couple of regional publications.

The stories are widely read and have even landed me a spot on an upcoming TV show to discuss them.

The new PlayStation did not make either list because I saw no point in recommending a gift that was not likely to be available in time for Dec. 25.

Of course, the new Tickle Me Elmo is almost impossible to find, but it made the list anyway.

But that’s different. Elmo is cute.

Maybe it’s a guy thing.