Maine Grinch Steals Christmas Trees, Is Jerk

Todd Murphy, the owner of Trees to Please, a nursery in Norridgewock, Maine specializing in Christmas trees, has a problem. His shop has been the victim of, says NECN, “a string of Christmas crimes.” The latest crime, the first big enough for Murphy to actually involve the police, is the theft of several dozen Christmas trees, worth an estimated $2,000.00.

The Christmas tree market is a big one; in 2011, Americans spent about $800 million on real, meaning actual plant product, trees. (We also spent $2.6 billion on artificial trees.) There are tens of thousands of growers, and in direct contrast to much of the agricultural market in this country, many are small growers like Murphy, producing and selling locally. (Murphy has 24,000 trees on 28 acres, but he can only sell the ones in the proper stage of development.) Being a small grower and retailer with few employees means that any individual tree theft can really hurt.

Murphy says he’s noticed theft at his stand since 2009, and he even has security tape of some jerk walking right up to his stand, taking a wreath, and leaving without paying. He actually thinks, given the quantity of trees taken all at once, that the grinch might be one of his competitors, trying to pad out their own inventories. Either way, it’s a major threat to his business; he told NECN that he may have to give up retail selling if the thefts don’t stop.

(Image of non-thieves via Flickr user StretchyBill)