MAJOR ORCHID THEFT

[sweetjblue]

This is a warning that I saw on The Orchid Mall. Felt that it warranted repeating as this applies to ALL orchid growers regardless of the species. Be sure to click on the link for the whole story. Really rather sad.

>>>> MAJOR ORCHID THEFT <<<<
This is a warning to ALL Orchid Enthusiasts to be aware and on the lookout for stolen orchid plants.
Please refer to the following link: Gold Coast Cymbidium Growers - ****************** Major Orchid Theft
In addition to those plants listed, lycastes and Laelia anceps were also stolen. Due to the large size of these orchid plants, there is a possibility they may have already been divided into smaller divisions and sold on the black market. If you see or hear of any of these unique plants being offered for sale or hear of anyone purchasing one, please contact orchidtheft2011@gmail.com. Any kind of information and help will be appreciated and kept confidential.
There is an updated article "A Real Orchid Thief" published in the most recent issue of the CSA Journal, pages 32 - 34.


Judi

[ryrycochinco]

thats terrible!

[Bud]

WOW! They are all very large plants and majority are in 2 gal pots...we windowsill growers cant take care of those very big plants...it will take up all our windows! But I feel sorry for the owner, they are all expensive hybrids...and no matter what : its $30,000.00 worth of orchids ! But good luck in selling them...those hybrids are rare and it will be hard to sell them even if they partition the bulbs into small portions

[Leafmite]

The person who stole them is sick! My orchids/plants are common, cheap, and relatively easy to replace, but I am very fond of them. I'd worry that they would suffer. I can't imagine what the victim is going through. I hope the orchids are found and are in good condition. He should have friends scour the Internet (forum chats, sale sites, auction sites, amazon, eBay), shows, flea markets, auction places, garden centers, and anywhere else orchids are unloaded. They have to be somewhere. The worst is, it is probably someone the owner has met.
Leafmite

[Bud]

I dont own any of the orchids on the list(Theres no species...its all very expensive hybrids...those are collections for the rich and whoever can afford it)

[Arenalbotanicalgarden]

Well. Copper-aluminum electric cables,fiber optic, manhole covers, now orchids.Hang tight folks. Aint good and I don't see it getting better any time soon.

[OrchidThief79]

My screenname seems inappropriate now :-(

I just saw a local news story recently about a string of potted plant thefts here in Hawaii. It sounded so bizarre but I guess its becoming a trend.

[camille1585]

This is terrible!! It's getting to be a regular occurance.
I remember ast year that there was someone on OB that posted about their entire Cym collection being stolen from a fenced in backyard overnight. All were in bloom, and all had sentimental value for the person because they had belonged to a grandparent.

[Wrebbitrocks]

this is terrible. it has to be someone who grows orchids because why would anyone steal them. the normal population excluding us wouldnt know what an orchid is or even tell the cym from a grass. my mom was warning me about summering my plants outdoors and id ignore her. i have an appology to make.

[smweaver]

That is shameful, and I agree with whoever wrote the article that the link goes to: the worst part is that the person(s) who stole the plants knew what he or she was looking at and was familiar with them. Hopefully the nasty individual who's responsible will get caught.