Should I be concerned?

[Paradox]

We are replacing our old and starting to fall apart kitchen so we have workmen in the house and in the back yard. So of course my trees are in full view of the guys doing the work.
I am working from home today and went upstairs to make a second cup of tea and just see how things were progressing.

One of the guys was out on the back deck which I have to traverse to get to the area we have our makeshift setup with the microwave to make a cup of tea and to avoid getting in the way of they work goin on in the kitchen.

He says "I really like your bonsai"
Me: "Thank you"
Him " Are any for sale?"
Me: "No they are all mostly still in development"
He goes over to the bench to one of them and asks, "what is this one?"
Me: "Its a burning bush that I am developing. Still needs a lot of work"
I go over and show him the tree and turn it on the bench pointing out places I'm healing wounds on it and explaining some of that.
Then I look around the yard and say: "They are a lot of work, but thank you"

Besides all the thefts we hear about every year, having people in the house always raises hairs on the back of my neck and I'm always concerned about people taking too much interest so to speak.
Maybe Im just being paranoid and I realize he could just be making small talk but still.

Would you be concerned with such an exchange?

 

[Rodrigo]

I've been in the same scenario and understand the nerves lol. However, if you know the company that's working there, and you get the names of the guys working (specifically the one who asked the questions), maybe even a picture of their license plate/vehicle, I think you're fine. Worst case, you know who was asking about them and can reach out to the company with a specific name. Maybe take pictures of your benches now so you have proof that everything was there before they left?

Once they leave for the day, I'd check immediately to make sure everything is still there. Unless you're worried about them coming back at a later date, which then is a little more complicated to prove who it was

 

[rockm]

Wouldn't be too worried about it.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Only a stupid thief would steal, and beforehand show remarkable interest.
I wouldn't be worried either.

 

[Colorado]

I understand your concern, but I wouldn’t worry about it, personally.

 

[Srt8madness]

Only a stupid thief would steal, and beforehand show remarkable interest.
I wouldn't be worried either.

Petty thieves aren't know for their superb intelligence though

 

[Cadillactaste]

My husband is a general contractor. I trust all who work under our name. Surely when you hired this company. You did your homework.

I wouldn't worry about it. That he showed interest ... would be foolish to then take one. All eyes are kind of on him.

 

[n8]

Sounds like legitimate interest in the hobby. I would be very surprised if a contractor returned as a thief.

 

[Paradox]

My husband is a general contractor. I trust all who work under our name. Surely when you hired this company. You did your homework.

I wouldn't worry about it. That he showed interest ... would be foolish to then take one. All eyes are kind of on him.

My husband owns a land surveying business and knows all the local contractors/builders.
He told me the owner of this company was one of the few he would trust to do our work.

Thanks for the responses folks.
Like I said, I get nervous about exposing my trees to strangers.
I however I did deliberately downplay them, saying "they are all still in development" and "they are a lot of work"
Both are true to a degree depending on the tree of course

 

[bwaynef]

Assuming I was otherwise satisfied, I'd likely have a small gift for the guy that showed interest when the job's done. I try to give some starter material to folks that show interest when they're here.

 

[badatusernames]

As with others, no, I wouldn't really worry about it, but I know what you mean. I got a Vespa this year and every once in awhile someone that feels a bit shady will approach me and pointedly ask how much it cost. People love to steal these things, and those kinds of questions can set off my spidey sense. It's usually best to pay attention when that feeling occurs, even if only for your own peace of mind.

Doesn't sound like he was really asking about values anyways, though. I don't think most people care or know how or where to re-sell bonsai, anyways.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Petty thieves aren't know for their superb intelligence though

I know the US is a bit different when it comes to contractor work, but over here everything is fully registered and insured. If something is missing after contract work, employer or insurance pays all the damages, employer fires the employee and probably pays a little extra to keep quiet.

I think paradox might have unintentionally created a new enthusiast. Which is a good thing!

 

[Nybonsai12]

I wouldn’t worry. Point him to the 99cent auction pages to get started.

 

[nuttiest]

Awwww, can't take a compliment, huh?
Maybe you can pick up a small 1 gallon and style it for him.

 

[dbonsaiw]

Having been born and raised in Brooklyn, I totally understand the sentiment. People would literally steal anything that wasn't bolted to the ground. Having moved to the burbs, I'm still adjusting. I asked that the gardeners not come to the back as I was concerned that they would destroy all my trees with their blowers, pesticides etc. One of the guys comes to the back every so often for no other reason than to check things out. He's genuinely interested in what's going on with the little trees. I was suspicious at first (because, of course, people want to steal my mangled shit), but talked myself off the ledge. At some point, I'll probably end up giving him a tree.

 

[Scorpius]

Security cameras are cheap nowadays.

 

[Carol 83]

Doesn't sound threatening to me, maybe just a burgeoning interest in bonsai inspired by your trees.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Happens at our house all the time. Usually I’ll answer questions vaguely and minimized in terms of age and value, and subtly about the effort required to keep them alive. I figure if I entrust someone to work in/on the house, they aren’t likely to steal from us. At the same time, we don’t leave cash or jewelry laying around.

If it’s a landscaper or somebody truly interested in bonsai, I’ll give more details, but never value of the trees or the pots.

I have also found that people equate bonsai work with someone who is meticulous and has a high standard. So in addition to that and building a bit of a connection by sharing the trees, maybe the quality of their work is higher too.

And still, I keep the gates locked and have a security camera in plain view.

 

[penumbra]

We have had several contractors out this year doing an assortment of upgrades and such. You get a small percentage that show an interest in the bonsai, but I get more interest in plants generally. I am as gracious as I can be with all contractors but particularly those who show interest. I also always tip all contractors, helpers, delivery people etc. I truly do my best to extend a hand of friendship to all of the. Beyond that I leave it up to Karma.

 

[Mike Corazzi]

Considering the upswing of bonsai thefts, I don't "show" my trees to NO ONE!
Cept another bonsai "buddy" who ..popped in.. to show someone MY trees.