SCOTTSBORO, Ala.—Most people would be shocked to find a live rattlesnake or a $64,000 platinum Rolex watch inside someone’s lost bag at an airport or hotel.
Things equally as strange have turned up, however, and each orphaned suitcase at Unclaimed Baggage in Scottsboro, Alabama, has its own backstory.
The unique store, which occupies a 50,000-square-foot retail space, is the country’s top spot for liquidating lost luggage, receiving approximately 7,000 items from airports every day.
“The standard is the airlines will conduct a three-month search for the original owner,” said Matt Owens, head of business planning at Unclaimed Baggage.
After the waiting period, the claims process begins. Travelers receive compensation for lost luggage, which are then considered salvage. Unclaimed Baggage sends a truck to collect the bags and bring them back to Scottsboro, where they are carefully opened, inspected, cleaned, graded, authenticated, and sorted into items that can be sold, donated, or discarded….