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THEFT AT TAMPA SHOW!!!!

S

Spider_Torts

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This past weekends was a bad weekend for alot of the vendors. We had a female Brygooi Spider Tortoises stolen from us on Saturday. If any of the per shops in the Tampa area come across a couple of younger kids, 17-20 trying to sell a lone female spider tortoises please contact me
(727-781-7374).  I know I will probably not get her back, but it's worth a try. Thank you again.
Randie DeLise.
 
Randie,

We felt so bad when we heard at the show about the theft. I wish you the best of luck in recovering her.  So everyone knows. There were other thefts at the show as well. Mothergecko had a Dumeril's Boa & a Cal King stolen, and a few others I can't remember off the top f my head right now.  Good luck to all in getting their animals back again.
 
I'm sorry to hear about this happening to you. I was at a show once and a 15-16 year old kid took something and walked away right in front of everybody! It was very crowded and it happened so fast and he quickly blended into the crowd. He almost got away with it cause people (including me) standing around were just thinking that he was joking or something. The only way the kid was caught was that the vendor shut down his table and asked a couple of us to watch it for him while he went and waited with security by the door. Sure enough, the kid was calmly walking out with his buddies that he was showing off his new snake to. it's been a while but I think that was Columbus.  Seems like maybe video security would be helpful at these shows. Maybe it would be worth it for a vendor to setup their own minicam on a tripod and keep it focused on the display table.
 
That really sucks! I'm so sorry to hear about that. Maybe it's getting to the point that all vendors will start having to issue receipts and have someone at the door checking receipts as people leave.....how sad.
  I assume their were witnesses since you know their approximate ages. Can you give a description and maybe what they were wearing? Maybe someone reading this will know who they are.
  Good luck in catching these jerks and getting your tortoise back.
   Chris Raden
 
I tell you this kind of thing gets me fired up.

We had a group of 3 young boys 14-17 try to steal from us in South Carolina last year. They had there s#@% together too.
Two of them would distract you at the opposite end of the table inquiring about something while the third guy would pick up a deli cup, act as if he was looking at the animal inside when he was done he would place it down on the very end of the table on the edge and walk away. Now the second guy would walk away while you were still taking to the first one and grab the cup as he walked by. When they were done ripping you off the first guy thanked you for the info and left. We actually watched them rip someone else off and located a security guard to intervene. When the officer searched him they found one of our geckos as well tucked inside his baggy pants. The best advice I can give is to put everything you can in a locked displays.  
Sorry to hear about your lose.
Nicole Elliser
K&N Reptiles
 
I know at the San Mateo in Nor Cal show they check reciepts for everything leaving and nothing is allowed in..
 
I also attended and found out the following:
Snakes at Sunset- 1 2-3foot laddertail colombian was stolen
Ben Siegel Reptiles-One very light colored adult male bearded dragon
R n R-Reptiles-one female brygoii tortoise
and one more but I do not remember.
I called Neil Gubotz on his "red" phone line and asked him to look out for them. He said hell notify some friends as well.
So if you live in Tampa area please keep an eye out.
Michael Barrera- M n R-Reptiles.com
 
Randie and everyone sorry to hear about the losses.  I was told at the show about the Spider Tort incident but hadn't heard about all of the other thefts.  We did lose a Dumerils Boa and a California Kingsnake at the show to some lowlifes.  Unfourtunatly scumbags will always walk the Earth with hard working people and try to take advantage of it.  We purchased a couple nice display cases to keep some of our animals a bit more secure from these loser types.  I would like to thank Doug Barr for the nice displays, they look great!  I would also like to say I think the show was a great success and Tony and Staff did an excellent job.  There was a great turn out and we had a really fun time aside dealing with the lowlife theives.  We may not be able to catch all the thieves, but the ones we do need to pay for all of their actions and then some, as well as be made examples of and activlely be ostersized from the Reptile World entirely.
 
Once again all the good guys come forward for support. I am glad everyone will be on the look out.
Just incase I didn't clarify earlier, the tortoises was a full grown female brygooi spider tortoise. Not a baby.
The kids that got it did have their $#!* together. One kid came over to the other side of the table, and looked like he was really stoned or something. He stared butting in and touching things, including trying to pick up a full grown White and Black tegu. We didn't think anything of it, because we were already busy with about 10 customers at the same time. Then the kid just said thanks and took off. We never saw the other one, or two, but the one looked like half the kids at the show. He had a hat on so we didn't see the color hair. A black shirt, and tan long shorts, but dressed "freakish." There may have been more than just two kids, but not sure. If anyone has seen any kids like that. I do think that the same kids did hit all of the other tables, because they targeted the most expensive things, with each animal worth at least $250.
The Spiders weren't in an open tub. They were in a 29 gallon, with a smaller tank covering half the top, and a dome light on the other half. They took the tortoises with out making a sound from anything that was on the top. They were good.
Thanks again for everyone's support.
Randie DeLise- R & R Reptiles.
 
Hey Randie,
I am sorry for your loss. I live on the east coast but if I hear of anything I will certainly let you know. On a brighter note... I enjoyed the show alot and was great to see Rob ( RK reptiles) and to meet Mike from Mothergecko. Of course it is always great to see Ben and Stacey. I hope that things like this can be dealt with in someway because I would definitely want to attend the show next time around.

Alison Crews
 
Too bad about that theft. Thefts like this happen all the time at shows I have attended! (Whoops does that make me sound like I am a culprit - I hope not.) This past weekend my local herp society held its 13th annual show. Not a great big one, we only had about 42 vendor tables, but good sized for a small society. Well even before the doors opened a thief was at work. I had all my animals on the table, including some baby desert kingsnakes in deli cups. A small group of other vendors came by and oohed and aahed at them with one guy lagging behind a bit. I was busy still setting up, and really did not get a good look at who was there. I don't remember seeing anyone else come by in the next few minutes, and when I had a chance to look over my setup a few minutes later, the snake was gone. Well I was certain I had 9 of them that morning, and I had left one special one at home. I was also very certain I had brought along 8 of them and I counted 8 as I placed them onto the table at the show. I was almost 100% certain it was stolen, but I still figured I had better check at home after the show to see if my muddled middle aged memory had somehow forgotten it. Nope, it was not left behind at home! I was pretty miffed that another dealer would steal a snake, a cheap one at that. That is really about as low as you can go.
 
YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING !!!!  It sounds like you know who it was then and they may even be in your herp society as well.  I would bring this up atyour next meeting and if you really have a good idea who stole the snake from you then I would not hesitate to confront that person.  That is lower than low ......  This person was a vendor and knows just what you put into your business and could afford to buy the animal but instead decided to rip you off ?   I have only been in business for two years and have done very few shows but when I hear about things like this it makes think twice about where I have decided to direct my life to.  This person is SCUM !!!


Gary Walsch
Sunshine State Reptiles
 
It is really unfourtunate that some people have to steal from people who are just enjoying their hobby while trying to make a little extra cash to pay for the food .It really sucks but then again so do most people. the only thing i can think of is to use those locking deli cup display cases .

Anyway, just some more rambling on my part
Chris
 
Glenn , would you happen to know  when the LIHS meeting are ?
Thanks,
Chris
 
Chris,

As for who stole my snake, I have no idea, I really did not get a look at who was at the table as I was still setting up and did not pay attention because the doors were still closed. A moment or so after I had realized it, they opened the front doors to the public and the crowds came in. Believe me if I knew who it was I would have raised holy hell right to his/her face at the show, and would have sought to have the jerk arrested by the campus police.

The October meeting of the LIHS is October 13, Sunday at the Copiague Library. For more info call (631) 884-LIHS or go to LIHERPSO.com

Best regards
 
I'm sorry to hear about all the theft.  That really ticks me off.  And the thing is, there is not much that can be done.  
At the Wasatch show this year, we had our most expensive bearded dragon stolen, and that was a show that you had to issue receipts, a decent amount of security and everyone was checked in and out of the show.  And it was Salt Lake City for crying out loud!  Anyone with a purse or big pockets and a will can still do it under those conditions.
It's really a drag for vendors.  Makes you think twice about doing shows and makes you suspicious of your customers.  There is just no way to watch all the people at your tables at once and engage in conversation, make sales, etc etc.  Even with a couple people working.

grrrrr
Dana
 
* in my above post i ment to type Meetings  this would b esier if i could type


Thanks,
 
Randie, I know how you feel. I was ripped off for 2 spurs (babies) and 1.1 viper boas. Not a big loss comparred to what you had stolen, there was a witness who saw a women in her early 20,s blonde hair take the spurs. Again I am sorry to hear of all the stolen animals.
 
I hate to say it, but I'm hearing more and more of this type of thing lately.  I am truly sorry to hear about each of your losses. It really begins to make a person suspicious of everyone coming to their table.  I've noticed more and more vendors using the locking display cases for the deli cups or locking cages for larger animals.  It's really a shame, unfortunately, it's also necessary. <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':('>  Best of luck recovering the stolen animals.

Dianne
 
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