Mystery Gift from the Twilight Zone

Sent to the only three people I could think of who I know, who know Russian:

Today I received a mystery package of unknown origin and portents. The only thing I ordered was some mushroom growing kits for my sisters (I know, I know, but they're not giant, not for boys, and not to be grown in a cellar) but this is nothing of the kind! The return address is Artem Panin, 33 Dovatora str., Zaporizhzhya, 69069 Ukraine. The contents is a small plastic bag, no label, invoice, or note in any language, containing plant seeds of what appear to be some sort of grain. Before planting any possible giant terror from outer space, I plan to take them to the local extension office and try to determine what they are and what ought to be done with them. I thought I'd contact my Russian-speaking friends for any possible extra insight. Thanks.

Почему вы думаете, только русские могут определить семена?

originally posted by: CIAGypsy
Почему вы думаете, только русские могут определить семена?

What the...?

a reply to: CIAGypsy
I believe he thinks Russians may be able to help him determine why the package was sent out. He did say he was going to take it to a local office to determine the seed type.

possibly someone elses Ebay purchase. Was there a tracking number or name on the package that could be tracked down?

If there was a tracking number the intended recipient may come looking for it.

a reply to: Doodle19815

I was assuming that the OP was Russian or Ukrainian. Perhaps it might help if he could also explain where he lives? The USDA doesn't allow foreign seeds or plants simply shipped in without going through inspection and quarantine...

However, from his OP, I gathered that:

1. He doesn't know who sent it or why. He ordered mushrooms and these clearly weren't mushrooms...

2. He can't identify the seed.

I was trying to understand why he thinks only a Russian would be able to identify the seeds. I can't imagine the people he knows who speak Russian are going to know why these were sent to him.

ETA - I think the place he ordered the mushrooms from simply messed up the order. It could be a seed sharing type of place where the seeds actually come from a co-op of growers.

Jack ,they're Magic beans !!! ....., just kidding ...... Maybe you can do a google search of seeds to see if you can find a match ? ..... Or contact the company you ordered from to see if they have shipped your package yet...the. Ask them to track it. If they day it was delivered ,,then ask them what they sent you, as that would be a mix up in product. If they haven't shipped to you yet, then I'd be really wary .

originally posted by: Doodle19815
a reply to: CIAGypsy
I believe he thinks Russians may be able to help him determine why the package was sent out. He did say he was going to take it to a local office to determine the seed type.

Yes, I believe they might...except the Russians who are in on it, of course!

originally posted by: ntech
possibly someone elses Ebay purchase. Was there a tracking number or name on the package that could be tracked down?

If there was a tracking number the intended recipient may come looking for it.

One more thing, my mom had to sign for it!

I don't see how I could receive someone else's eBay purchase as the seller would have to have my name and address, and to the best of my recollection I have never bought anything from that part of the world. There was a green label of the type used on foreign packages, giving weight and description of contents, but I can't make out the writing or even be sure whether it is in English.

Is that a picture of an injured leg?

originally posted by: CIAGypsy
a reply to: Doodle19815

I was assuming that the OP was Russian or Ukrainian. Perhaps it might help if he could also explain where he lives? The USDA doesn't allow foreign seeds or plants simply shipped in without going through inspection and quarantine...

However, from his OP, I gathered that:

1. He doesn't know who sent it or why. He ordered mushrooms and these clearly weren't mushrooms...

2. He can't identify the seed.

I was trying to understand why he thinks only a Russian would be able to identify the seeds. I can't imagine the people he knows who speak Russian are going to know why these were sent to him.

ETA - I think the place he ordered the mushrooms from simply messed up the order. It could be a seed sharing type of place where the seeds actually come from a co-op of growers.

Is the OP Russian or Ukrainian? No, my closest connection to Russia is my grandfather's sister married a Russian, so my mom's cousins are half-Russian, but none of our ancestors of which we know on either side are either from Russia or any nearby country. I don't say where I live because this is a conspiracy forum, so just by being here I am by definition paranoid, but I do live in the continental United States and have never traveled out of North America. I wanted to know where the packet sender obtained my address which was rendered correctly.

1. and 2. That's pretty much the size of it. On 3., you kind of missed the point. I didn't think only a Russian could identify the seeds, but perhaps that a good, honest, upstanding Russian might know of any shady plots directed from Russia against Americans. Of course those in on the plots would lie or misdirect, and those not in on them might just not know. The last part, I suspect you got right, as stated below.

UPDATE: Mystery solved, it would seem. I checked my Amazon.com order and the seller is indeed in the Ukraine. Wrote them the following:

Hey, I ordered two mushroom growing kits as described above. So far what has arrived was one package of something that looks like wheat or large grass seed, with no planting instructions. Are you sure you sent the right thing? Thanks.

(Now, for God's sake no one tell the USDA about this. Just kidding. They probably know and that's why the things take so darn long to arrive!)

originally posted by: Meldionne1
Jack ,they're Magic beans !!!

That was my third thought right after commie spy plots and space aliens. I should have just checked the sender's country of origin on what I ordered in the first place.

NOTE TO MODS: The 4-hour editing window has passed leaving me unable to remove the sender's name and address. If it should not appear, please delete. Thanks.

Well, considering mushrooms produce spores rather than seeds, I'd wager a guess that what you have may be vermiculite, a medium for growing mushrooms.
However,if you've already compared pictures & that's not it, then you probably just received the wrong item.

a reply to: CoriSCapnSkip

Interesting to see that the problem of the mystery mushrooms is getting resolved. I actually buy some stuff off of Ebay myself that comes from mystery locations. My windows 8 upgrade came from Riga Latvia. The USB 3.0 card came from China. Mostly because you can get stuff cheap over there.

Now, since you asked. My avatar is a photograph of the supernatural. A sigil. A magical mark. And if you really want to see something weird download a copy of the picture and rotate it. It forms 4 pictures. Like in the Dan Brown book Angels and Demons. Except that it's a different picture in each view. And see if you can make out the 222.

A rotational ambigram.

a reply to: CoriSCapnSkip

this thread is utterly uselless without hi-res pictures .

PS - as you state there is no written material with the alledged seeds - how is contacting a russian speaker going to help ?????????????????

originally posted by: Nyiah
Well, considering mushrooms produce spores rather than seeds, I'd wager a guess that what you have may be vermiculite, a medium for growing mushrooms.
However,if you've already compared pictures & that's not it, then you probably just received the wrong item.

That's what the seller basically said. The spores don't grow by themselves so they are put onto seedlike things which are apparently not supposed to grow, just house the spores. As to the question by ignorant_ape, the seller's English was not perfect, but good enough to convey the meaning.