AirPods, Rolex watches, Louis Vuitton bags: a company that sells lost luggage items has fans around the world

Live snake, mounted ram’s head, Halloween card signed by Richard Nixon.

According to a new report from Unclaimed Baggage, a store that buys unseen lost items from airlines, the most interesting items found in lost luggage in 2023.

The company found a 13-foot-tall pole, creepy props from the “Saw” film series and a pair of Louis Vuitton Nike Air Force 1 sneakers worth $12,000.

These projects and more are featured in the company’s first “Discovery Report: A Look Inside America’s Lost Baggage,” released April 1.

“We thought it would be fun to publish an annual report that covers the most common items, the most expensive items, and the weird and wonderful items,” said CEO Brian Owens. CNBC Travel.

According to the list, the most expensive items found this year are a diamond ring (estimated at $37,050), a Cartier Panthère watch ($26,500) and an Hermès Birkin 25 bag ($23,500).

The company has long-term contracts with airlines, hotels, train and rental car companies to purchase unclaimed items. It handles thousands of items per week; About a third is sold, another third is donated and the rest is recycled, he said.

“We live in a world where everything is lost,” Owens said. “Every day is a little like Christmas.”

In 1970, Doyle received a tip that a local bus company was struggling to deal with the growing number of luggage left behind by passengers.

So he borrowed $300 to buy unwanted bags, put price tags on them and sell the items from his home in Scottsboro, Ala. — Population: 15,700.

After that, “it’s game on,” Owens said.

Today, Unclaimed Baggage’s retail store in Scottsboro is larger than a city block, and the company has more than 250 employees, he said. The thrill of the hunt – the prospect of what might be found – draws people from near and far.

“We have a million people a year … coming from every state in the United States and 40 countries,” he said. “We had customers from the West Coast who would fly in a few times. I remember a few customers from the UK who would fly in once a year to shop.”

Unclaimed Baggage opened its “Discovered Treasures” museum in Scottsboro, Alabama in 2023, which showcases oddities acquired over the years. The exhibit features a scale-down replica of a human head similar to the original one found in the lost bag.

Source: Unclaimed Baggage

Owens says discounts range from 20% to 80%, depending on the item, with more discounts on clothes and less on Rolex watches. He said the company wants to offer deals to customers but does not want to incentivize dealers.

Owens said a customer, possibly a cruise ship employee, bought a “large number” of Kindles and resold them in the port city.

“We hope that someone can get a deal that can’t be done anywhere else, but … we’re not in the business for arbitration.”

From AirPods selling for $54 a HP’s 15.6-inch laptop costs $175 Electronics are selling the fastest, Owens said.

But fine jewelry also sells well — even online, she said.

Owen said the company has bought about 20 Rolex watches this year alone. One of his favorite items was a 40-carat emerald, which was found wrapped in rags in an invisible bag.

Owens said identity verification is an important part of business, whether Louis Vuitton luggage or a pair of Balenciaga sneakers. He likens identifying items in lost luggage to an “archaeological dig”.

In rare cases, items are returned to their rightful owners, he said.

“We had a guy from Atlanta … buy a pair of women’s ski boots for his girlfriend,” he said. “He pulled the tongue back… and his name was written on the inside of the boot. He lost his boots and the airline compensated him. He then found them in the Unclaimed Baggage section and brought them back.”

Unclaimed Baggage, a retail store in Scottsboro, Alabama, sells luxury goods from brands such as Louis Vuitton, Jimmy Choo and Yves Saint Laurent.

Source: Unclaimed Baggage

The company also found items with price tags on unclaimed luggage, meaning they were lost, bought by the company, sold to a new owner and then lost again.

But what about the disgruntled travelers who claim store items as their lost items?

“When we found the property, there was a pretty extensive search process and they settled all the claims,” Owens said, adding that it usually takes about 90 days.

Owens has also discovered a few gems over the years, including the jacket he wore during an interview with CNBC Travel. He said he discovered it while chatting with customers at the store.

“I looked at the rack and thought: I really like that sport coat,” he said.

It turns out that it is a jacket from an Italian luxury brand Keaton.

“I would never pay for it myself, but it’s a $10,000 sport coat,” he said.

The list price in his store is: $999.

Statistics show that 7.6 bags are mishandled out of every 1,000 passengers SITA Baggage IT Insights 2023 report. Of these, 80% were delayed and ultimately 13% were damaged or stolen and 7% were lost or stolen;

“Airlines actually do a good job of combining passengers with luggage,” Owens said, “lost bags are only one percent of transported bags.”

Hoggle, a puppet from the 1986 David Bowie film Labyrinth, is now on display at Unclaimed Baggage’s “Undiscovered Treasures” in Scottsboro, Alabama.

Source: Unclaimed Baggage

According to Unclaimed Baggage “Discovery Reports,” the most common reason for lost baggage is a lack of identifying information on or inside the bag.

The agency advises travelers to attach durable luggage tags to their luggage and place a paper or business card inside with contact information and travel itinerary.