Unclaimed Baggage is a store that operates somewhat like a flight lost and found. It was founded by Doyle Owen in 1970. From the complaints of a local bus company burdened by left behind bags, he began his company. Since then, Unclaimed Baggage has widened the scale of its operations. The company has recently gained attention for its finds and gained popularity from selling lost luggage items. Here’s what travelers should know about the retail brand and how they sell lost luggage items.
How Does the Company Acquire the Lost Luggage Items?
Unclaimed Baggage has long-term contracts that grant them access to buy unclaimed items from airlines. However, this is not exclusive to airlines, since the company also acquires lost items from trains, hotels, and rental car companies. These various avenues of acquiring lost items equate to tens of thousands of items in just one week. As such, the company is certainly flourishing off its finds.
This process is not as easy as travelers may assume. Typically, the items in the Unclaimed Baggage store have been lost for at least 90 days. There is a long search process carried out by airlines in hopes of getting lost luggage back to their owners. This, of course, can only happen after luggage is mishandled. While not all of the items sell, a good portion of the items do. Items are not individually selected by the company either, contracts grant them access to items sight unseen.
Unclaimed Items That Have Been Found in Lost Luggage
Many interesting objects have been found in luggage by the retailer. Some of the most unique items that have gained attention include live snakes, props from the “Saw” movie franchise, $12,000 sneakers, and even a diamond ring. Other finds like Birkin bags, Rolex watches, and a mounted ram head were found in 2023.
How To Avoid Losing Luggage
In the “found report” of Unclaimed Baggage, interested readers can look into why the belongings of travelers reach the company in the first place. Some of these reasons include damaged bags and lost or stolen items, which are far less common than people think. It is recommended that travelers keep luggage tags in their luggage when checking bags. Bags that have a place for travelers to put their contact information are also great choices. These places for identification are helpful in the case of lost luggage and may help travelers avoid their bags winding up in the possession of Unclaimed Baggage.