Live snakes, a mounted ram’s head, a Halloween card signed by Richard Nixon.
These are some of the most fascinating items found in lost luggage in 2023, according to a new report from Unclaimed Baggage, a shop that buys lost items from airlines, sight unseen.
The company also found a 13-foot pole, scary props from the “Saw” movie series and a pair of Louis Vuitton Nike Air Force 1 sneakers valued at $12,000.
These facts and more are detailed in the company’s first “Report Found: A Look Inside America’s Lost Baggage”, published on April 1.
“We thought it would be fun for us to put out an annual report that captures the most common items, the most expensive items, and the weird and wonderful,” CEO Bryan Owens told CNBC Travel.
The most expensive items found this year, according to the list, are a diamond ring (estimated at $37,050), a Cartier Panthère watch ($26,500) and a Hermès Birkin 25 bag ($23,500).
The company has long-term contracts to buy unclaimed items from airlines, as well as hotels, trains and car rental companies. It processes tens of thousands of items per week. about a third is sold, another third is donated and the rest is recycled, he said.
“We live in the world of all things lost,” Owens said. “It’s a little bit like Christmas every day.”
A loyal customer base
The company was founded by Owen’s father, Doyle Owensin 1970, after Doyle received a tip that a local bus company was struggling with an increasing amount of luggage left behind by passengers.
So he borrowed $300 to buy the unwanted bags, labeled the contents and sold the goods from his home in Scottsboro, Alabama — population: 15,700.
After that, “it was off to the races,” Owens said.
Today, Unclaimed Baggage’s retail store in Scottsboro is larger than a city block, and the company employs more than 250 people, he said. The thrill of the hunt—the sheer possibility of what might be found—draws people from near and far.
“We have a million people a year … from every state in America and in 40 countries,” he said. “We have clients from the West Coast, they’ll fly out sometimes. There’s a couple, I remember, from the UK who would fly in once a year just to shop.”
Unclaimed Baggage opened a “Found Treasures” museum in Scottsboro, Alabama, in 2023 to showcase the strangest items acquired over the years. This display shows replica shrunken human heads, similar to real ones once found inside a lost bag.
Source: Unclaimed Baggage
The discounts range from 20-80 percent, depending on the item, Owens said — clothing is discounted more, Rolex watches less. The company wants to give customers a deal, but without incentivizing resellers, he said.
One customer, likely a cruise ship employee, was buying “a ton” of Kindles and reselling them in port cities, Owens said.
“We want someone to get a deal that they can’t get somewhere else, but … we’re not in the business to arbitrage us.”
Best Sellers and “Returns”
From AirPods for $54 in a HP 15.6-inch laptop for $175electronics sell faster, Owens said.
But fine jewelry also sells well — even online, she said.
The company acquired about 20 Rolexes this year alone, Owen said. One of his favorite items was a 40-carat emerald found wrapped in a rag in an unassuming bag.
Authentication is an important part of the business, Owens said, be that as it may Louis Vuitton luggage or a couple Balenciaga sneakers. He likened identifying items in lost luggage to an “archaeological dig.”
In rare cases, the items are returned — to their rightful owners, he said.
“We had a guy from Atlanta who … bought a pair of women’s snow ski boots for his girlfriend,” he said. “She pulled back the tongue… and deep inside the boot was her name. She had lost her boots, it had been paid for by the airlines. Then she found them in Unclaimed Baggage and brought them back to her.”
Luxury items — from brands like Louis Vuitton, Jimmy Choo and Yves Saint Laurent — for sale at retailer Unclaimed Baggage in Scottsboro, Alabama.
Source: Unclaimed Baggage
The company also finds items with Unclaimed Baggage price tags, meaning they were lost once, bought by the company, sold to a new owner, and then lost again.
Whoever finds it keeps it
But what about angry travelers who claim items in the store are their lost possessions?
“By the time we get the property, it’s gone through a pretty extensive search process and they’ve settled all their claims,” Owens said, adding that usually takes about 90 days.
Owens has also found a few gems over the years, including the jacket he wore when he spoke to CNBC Travel. He spotted it while chatting with a customer at the store, he said.
“I looked at the rack and I’m like: I really like this sport coat,” she said.
As it turned out, it was a jacket from the luxury Italian brand Kiton.
“I would never pay for it myself, but it’s a $10,000 sport coat,” he said.
Its retail price: $999.
How not to lose your luggage
For every 1,000 passengers, 7.6 bags are mishandled, according to SITA’s Baggage IT Insights 2023 report. Of these, 80% are late and will eventually be returned to their owners. 13% have been damaged or stolen. and 7% are lost or stolen, he said.
“Airlines do a really good job of reuniting passengers with baggage,” Owens said. “It’s a fraction of the percentage of bags that are shipped that end up being lost.”
Hoggle, a marionette from David Bowie’s 1986 film Labyrinth, is at Unclaimed Baggage’s Found Treasures museum in Scottsboro, Alabama.
Source: Unclaimed Baggage
According to Unclaimed Baggage’s Found Report, the most common reason luggage is lost is a lack of identification on or inside the bag.
The company recommends that travelers place a durable luggage tag on their bags and place a piece of paper or a business card inside with their contact information and travel itinerary.