Losing luggage is a nightmare scenario for many travelers. It could mean having to buy a whole new wardrobe or even parting with something that’s near and dear to them.
However, those lost items are sometimes given a second chapter thanks to Unclaimed Baggage, a store and e-commerce site that resells many items that go missing during travel.
“Airlines really are great in reuniting lost luggage,” Sonni Hood, public relations manager at Unclaimed Baggage told me. But, she added, “a fraction of a percent adds up quickly when you consider that millions of people fly every day.”
The store in Scottsboro, Alabama, said it introduces around 7,000 new items to its shelves every day, and the online shopping portal sees about 5,000 new items each week.
In a new report, which Unclaimed Baggage plans to release annually, the store details the most common items in lost bags of the year.
“The different things that are happening in our culture eventually find their way into what people are packing in their suitcase,” Hood said.
According to the Found Report, some of the most common items in 2023 were underwear, shoes and tablets/e-readers. (Sonni swore an oath that the store only sells unused underwear, so go forth with your shopping in peace.)