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As It Happens

Michigan burglar seemingly lured by gold bars made of foam

The squeezable bars at Gold Hardwood Floors in Michigan were part of a promotional campaign to deliver "stress-free flooring."

Old to Gold Hardwood Floors owner Rowdy Lapham says the squeezable bars are for stress relief

CBC Radio ·
Fake promotional gold bars apparently appeared so much like the real thing that someone appears to have broken into a western Michigan flooring shop to take them. (Submitted by Rowdy Lapham)

Rowdy Lapham believes the man who broke into his store was after his gold.

Except Old to Gold Hardwood Floors in Grand Rapids, Mich., doesn't actually have any gold — just a big stack of rubber-foam stress relievers shaped like gold bars.

"From a few feet away, they are deceiving," Lapham told As It Happens host Carol Off. 

"It's a pretty realistic colour and a pretty realistic shape. And so it does throw people at a quick glance, for sure."

'Stress-free' flooring

The props, which are clearly visible to passersby through the shop's glass front wall, are left over from a promotion with a real estate company.

The idea, Lapham said, is that Old to Gold gives you a "stress-free" flooring experience.

Lapham arrived at work Monday to find his store had been burglarized. A filing cabinet that was not visible from the outside had been tampered with, but nothing was taken.

"I mean, if you're going to break in somewhere, you're after something. And if you leave without taking anything, you clearly didn't find what you were looking for," he said.

"And our assumption is he was looking for gold."

Security footage from the break-in at Old to Gold Hardwood Floors in Grand Rapids, Mich., shows a man with a flashlight looking around — possibly in search of gold. (Submitted by Rowdy Lapham )

The foam bars — which, upon closer inspection, bear the company's logo — were strewn about.

"I think he was probably very frustrated," Lapham said.

"You think you've found the motherload and you're going to be rich beyond your wildest dreams because one bar is worth around $13,000, and now you've got nothing."

Gold bars, silver lining 

Police are investigating the break-in, Lapham said, but there are no suspects as of yet.

"As much as we appreciate our local law enforcement and their abilities and skills ... I don't think we're really high on their priority list, and that's OK with us," he said.

A police officer searches Old to Gold Hardwood Floors after the shop was burgled by a man who appeared to be in search of gold. (Submitted by Rowdy Lapham)

He said the damage was minimal, and the shop is enjoying all the attention the story has generated.

"We had no idea that the media would grab ahold of this and really create all the buzz that we're experiencing," he said.

"We've kind of found the silver lining in the incident, and we're just making lemonade out of lemons. It's all you can do, right?"

Written by Sheena Goodyear. Interview with Rowdy Lapham produced by Chloe Shantz-Hilkes.

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