Gold Coast Cymbidium Growers

Gold Coast Cymbidium Growers
605 Parkside Way
San Mateo, CA 94403
United States
ph: (408) 741-2882
GoldCoastCymbidiumGrowers@yahoo.com

Major Orchid Theft

URGENT!

Help us find this Thief of Feathered and Splash Petal Cymbidium Orchids

Sometime over the August 13-15th, 2011 weekend, approximately 30, very large and very valuable, mostly feathered/flared or splashed petal Cymbidium Orchids with a combined value in excess of $30,000, were stolen from a private collection in the SF Bay Area.

We are sending this notice out in hopes that it will reach enough plant people throughout the United States to help find the person(s) responsible for this grand theft from a hobbyist grower and to hopefully recover some of these plants or at the very least make it impossible for them to sell them.
There is a Substantial Reward being offered to anyone with information leading to the person(s) who stole these plants. 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.

These plants may no longer be in their original pots and may already have been divided into smaller plants.

If you see any of these plants for sale, bear in mind that their 'pedigree' may be suspect ! A real owner of the plant has displayed their plants for years, and everyone knows how they are. Ask the seller who sold it to them, and get that person's name and number, and CALL.
The list may not be complete at this time and more plants may be added, but the one feature that distinguishes the majority of these plants is the fact that they are feathered/flared or splashed. Most were very healthy in crowded 2 gallon pots, ready to be divided. These plants are unique enough to stand out at any sale or show.

It is truly sad when a hobbyist has to go the extremes of removing names and substituting numbers on their plants, or install motion sensor cameras and electric fencing and connections to a police department to protect their valuable collections from greedy thieves like the ones who decimated this collection.

The worst part is these thieves were knowledgeable about the orchids they stole and their names. None of the plants were in bloom, and with only a few exceptions, only the unusual feathered / flared / splashed ones were taken.

And while you may be tempted to purchase a unique plant like this for a discounted price, remember the "seller-thief" now knows who YOU are and there are probably other valuable plants at YOUR place with the ones he just sold to you.

Devastated by the loss, the owner is attemping to cope, and restore the collection, but it will not happen overnight. Any kind of information and help will be appreciated and kept confidential.

Thank You to Weegie Caughlan for emailing the original warning out to us all.

Partial List of Stolen Plants

Applebee 'Royal Surprise' 2 gal very large

Beverly Cobb 'Evelyn Paley' 2 gal very large

Beverly Cobb 'Evelyn Paley' 1 gal

Blazing Rose 2gal very large

George Formby 2 gal

Happy Alex 'Splash' 2gal large

Hallelujah 'Bold Vision' 2 gal very large

Hallelujah 'Mount Vision' 2 gal very large

Howard Cobb 'Feathered Zita' 2 gal very large

Ivy Fung 'Harlequin'

Kakadu Sunset 'Fireglow 4' 1gal

Kakadu Sunset 'Fireglow 4' 2gal

Kirby Lesh 'Cinnabar'

Mainstem 'Hip Hop'

Memoria Gracie Allen 2 gal

Nipomo Sunset 'Fiesta Flare' 2 gal very large

(Physical attraction X Camouflage Candy) very, very large 3 gal

Pia Borg 'Flash' 2 gal very large

Pinata 'Black Hole' 1 gal large

Prince Charles 'Carnival' 2 gal large

Rincon Fairy 2 gal very, very large

Rocky Creek 'Gotcha' MP

Suavely 'Wild Joker'

Wild Woman 'Feathered'

Winter Fire 'Frosty Tips' Very large 1gal

Winter Fire 'Splash' Very large 1 gal

Gold Coast Cymbidium Growers
605 Parkside Way
San Mateo, CA 94403
United States
ph: (408) 741-2882
GoldCoastCymbidiumGrowers@yahoo.com