Posted on 12/27/2023 10:30:05 AM PST by DallasBiff
Amid the bustling holiday travel season, as travelers navigate the shift from Christmas to New Year's, major airports are keeping pace. But the story doesn't always end at the baggage claim. For some, their belongings embark on an unexpected journey to a small Alabama town.
At the Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro, Alabama, lost luggage finds a new lease on life. This unique store stretches over a city block, filled with items from unclaimed airline baggage. Visitors here can find anything from a glitzy Rolex and a 1980s-style keyboard guitar to rare movie props, ancient violins and designer clothes.
Bryan Owens, who inherited the business from his father, describes the store's inventory with a hint of wonder. "If these bags could talk, what a story they'd have to tell," he said.
Among the unusual finds are suits of armor. "We've had more than one suit of armor come through, believe it or not," Owens said.
Airlines typically have a 90-day window to reunite lost bags with their owners. After this period, the bags are deemed lost, and the airlines compensate the flyers. Owens then purchases these unclaimed bags by the truckload. The contents, ranging from wearable items to electronics, are cleaned, data-wiped and priced for resale.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
Good for them, but some of those unclaimed items are astounding, like a Rolex watch and wedding dresses.
I’m sure Sam Brinton is a frequent customer.
The luggage š§³š§³š§³š§³š§³ is a steal!!
Any dead bodies?....................
or...he should have been. He might not have been arrested, had he known about this!
Technically it is unclaimed luggage, not stolen luggage, as Ms/Mr whatever Sam Brinton was want to do.
And people say I’m crazy for believing this, but.....
I believe robots š¤š¤š¤š¤š¤š¤ are
stealing my luggage š§³š§³š§³š§³š§³š§³
There is going to be some nice finds in there, because people usually take their best clothes with them.
“We’ve had more than one suit of armor come through, believe it or not,”
But how did folks forget that they had brought those items with them on a plane and not try to locate them?
My brother lost a garment bag with five suits in it about 25 years ago. He was a mortgage bank auditor at the time. So, he had to wear a suit every day along with a white shirt, dress shoes, etc.
He lost his bag and never got it back even though his name was on it and inside it. He got paid by the airline who lost it but it did not come close to covering the replacement of five suits and the luggage itself. It probably ended up at a place like this.
The moral of the story is DO NOT put anything in your checked luggage that you care about losing. Which is why I never check a bag. I have the largest carry on and a back pack.
Ouch š¤
There is also a ustreasury.gov website with links to government auctions. There are auctions of things confiscated by TSA. Such as Leathermans in groups of 6-10.
There are also links to US Marshalls auctions of real property. Things like boats, cars, houses and planes from drug smugglers, etc.
Yep, I also wear a $25 casio divers watch when traveling, if I lose it, no problem.
So really not the babylon bee?
This is the coolest place!! We ride out Motorcycles there so we cant buy any big items!!
I had a watch stolen out of my checked bag coming back from vacation. I can’t remember where we were coming from, but the bag came through the luggage carousel opened. My leather shaving kit/toiletries bag was out. I picked it up and put it back in my opened garment bag. I didn’t realize until I got home that my watch was missing. It was a Seiko. Probably a $100 watch at the time.
do I really want to buy a house, plane or car that belonged to drug dealer.
I know of a guy who bought an Armani suit at that place.
Well.... they might be dead or in The Big House for 20 to life.
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