The bad news? It's now up for auction on this US website.
Half finished books, souvenirs and pre-worn clothes are among the contents for sale, which at some point were parted from their owner on an airport carousel.
Most airports are only required to hold lost luggage for up to 90 days, after which items are lost for good. If that happens at a US airport most likely it ends up for sale, with the Unclaimed Baggage company.
The Unclaimed Baggage company website is essentially an online thrift shop, with a heavy dose of schadenfreude.
Now owned by a third generation of Owens, the family company has expanded its drag net from bus terminals to theatres and airport lost luggage across America.
Their warehouse in Scottsboro Alabama has even become something of a tourist attraction, with 2000 thrifty visitors leaving reviews on Tripadvisor. (Yes, apparently it's the No 1 "thing to do" in Scottsboro).
"We are humbled, grateful and give God glory for this milestone," said the company having recently celebrated decades in business by launching the website unclaimedbaggage.com.
The new website highlights finds such as an "Unclaimed Bag of the week" the contents of which tells a story. Currently this is a carry-on with various items of dog clothing and a chew toy. Other highlighted items have included a tragically abandoned engagement ring.
[[{"type":"instagram_post_url","src":"https://www.instagram.com/p/B8zM9FspmRS/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaig...","odtEmbed":true}]]However, the Unclaimed Baggage company aren't the only people profiting from travellers' misfortune. Only about 30 percent of all lost property ends up for sale on the website or store. The rest go to their "reclaimed for good" programme that repurposes and rehomes the items with charities around the world.
Sadly, the for sale for profit arm of the company doesn't ship internationally.
In New Zealand there is a different system in place where items are held on to for a maximum of 90 days before being disposed of. At Auckland Airport this means that any unclaimed items which don't contain personal or sensitive information are passed on to police and customs charity auctions.
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