From Live Snakes to Presidential Signatures: Unveiling the Secrets of Lost Bags

Millions of passengers fly across the United States yearly, but not all can claim their bags upon arrival. In fact, less than 0.5 percent of all baggage ends up missing. The rest is returned to its rightful owners, but the lost luggage is sent to Unclaimed Baggage, the only store in the country specializing in selling lost items.

Unclaimed Baggage recently published its first-ever annual report, the ‘Found Report‘. The piece reveals some fascinating insights into the world of lost luggage.

In 2023, the store’s team opened two million bags and found various items, including clothes, gadgets, jewelry, and more. Each item carries a story of unexpected detours, missed connections, and other travel mishaps that led to the owner losing it.

Photo: Courtesy of Calle Macarone / Unsplash

“These bags are a glimpse into 2023,” said Jennifer Kritner, Vice President of Retail and Company Culture at Unclaimed Baggage. “From the surge in Taylor Swift t-shirts to an array of Nintendo Switch games and Stanley water bottles, each item our team uncovered tells a story of its own.”

The ‘Found Report’ detailed some of the strangest and most unique items unearthed by its bag openers, with a somewhat shocking find of two live snakes ranked as its most fascinating. This was followed by a voodoo box, which was made even more disturbing by the fact it had the bag opener’s name labeled on it.

The most fascinating finds:

Other interesting items in the lost luggage include a pair of water buffalo horns, a fossilized fish, a Halloween card from the 1980s signed by President Nixon, and a hand-painted ostrich egg.

The store sells these items in-store or online and donates some of the proceeds to charity. According to their website, for every item sold, they donate another to someone in need.

“Each bag is like a time capsule,” said Bryan Owens, CEO of Unclaimed Baggage. “Twenty years from now, we can look back at the Found Report and see what people packed in 2023. It’s an exciting and curious way to take a snapshot of our culture.

Photo: Courtesy of Arawark Chen / Unsplash

“The items discovered in unclaimed bags are endlessly fascinating. You never know what you are going to find!”

The most common item found in unclaimed baggage in 2023 was underwear, with Unclaimed Baggage assuring its customers that only brand-new ones are sold. The second most frequently found item was shoes, with sneakers being the most common type, followed by tablets and e-readers.

The most frequently found:

According to the report, some valuable items lost by people were auctioned off, and some were worth significantly. For instance, a 14-karat gold diamond ring was the most expensive piece of jewelry found, and it was appraised at a staggering $37,050.

Similarly, the most expensive watch auctioned was a Cartier Panthere, valued at $26,050.

The most expensive items: