Chairs worth nearly $40K targeted by thieves at high-end Vancouver store

Vancouver police are asking for the public's help to locate a pair of unique designer chairs stolen from a high-end furniture store last month.

In an emailed statement,police saidthe chairs are worth nearly$40,000 a pieceand were the only targets of the break-in at Lloyd Bruce Home Collections on May 13.

Furniture store co-owner Douglas Somerville said he's not sure they will ever be able to replace the stolen Roberto Cavalli-designed armchairs.

"It really is their flagship chair. It's their signature piece. [Roberto Cavalli]sells around the world, although we're the only ones in Canada to carry it."

Worth nearly $40Keach

Somerville said each chair is actually worth $37,800, are made of calf-skin leather, the entire surface of which is gold leaf embossed in a crocodile pattern. The distinctive arms are made of solid brass and look like serpents.

Somerville also said surveillance video shows the two suspects were there for a very short time and went directly for the Cavalli chairs.

"The other things that they took during the course of the robbery were just last minute thoughts," said Somerville.

The police news release said twosuspects left in a white Ford F150 pickup truck.

One manis described as slim and was wearing white runners, blue jeans with a white beltand a dark hoodie with a baseball cap and gloves.

The other male suspect is of medium build, wearing dark pants, dark sneakers with white lacesand a dark hoodie jacket with a baseball cap.

Somerville said the suspects also appeared to be quite strong.

"It takes my partner and I each together to lift them. But both those fellows lifted those chairs up,put them up over their head and walked throughthe showroom with them," said Somerville.

Police are asking anyone with information about the break-in or the location of the arm chairstocall theVancouver Police Property Crime Unit at 604-717-0610 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477