They arrive, on Oscar night, gracefully and shining for the popping cameras.

But what the cameras don't catch is the free gifts the stars hide into the back of their cars at the end of the show, or have shipped to their luxury homes.

It's called the "gift bag" after big showsin celebrity circles.

Except that it's not, strictly speaking, a "bag" that we're talking about. These days, it's more like a "gift basket" full of lovely items worth tens of thousands of dollars.

Last year, the luxury gifts — which included video phones, mobile phones, jewelry, a $1,500-dinner party coupon, free spa offers, and gym memberships valued at about $20,000 — arrived in an enormous wicker basket.

This year, the gifts being offered to the stars include "the ultimate HDTV package," consisting of a 43-inch Samsung high-definition projection TV that normally retails at $3,700, plus a subscription to the VOOM HDTV satellite service. The bag also includes airline tickets, offers at luxury suites, and a cornucopia of jewelry, beauty products, luxury food and champagnes. Industry insiders speculate that the whole bundle is worth upwards of $25,000.