Eleanor Roosevelt letter, $20K gold Rolex among lost luggage items noted in ‘The Found Report’
A retail store in Scottsboro, Alabama, is giving new life to lost luggage by reselling items left behind by travelers.
Unclaimed Baggage has released “The Found Report,” detailing unique and valuable items left behind while also sharing trends the group has noticed.
Sonni Hood, senior manager of PR and communications, told Fox News Digital the report “provides a platform for us to share culture shifts we are seeing year after year.”
Among the list of odd items left behind by flyers: a freeze-dried chicken foot, a toilet seat, a full sheet of uncut $2 bills, a preserved rattlesnake in a jar of whiskey, and silicone butt pads.
The retailer takes possession of unclaimed bags only after an “extensive” 90-day search for the owners — then prepares the left-behind items for sale, the group says.
Some historic items have also found their way to the store in Alabama.
A movie script from the 1985 film “The Goonies,” a 1941 newspaper clipping of the attack on Pearl Harbor and a letter signed by former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt dated 1944 all were identified.
The company has a 50,000-square-foot retail space that attracts more than 1 million people each year. It also maintains a website.
It typically marks items at up to 80% off the suggested retail value.
“There are some staple items for American travelers, which will continue to stay the same, but our findings each year bring new observations about what our culture values,” said Hood.
“Last year, for example, we saw an increase in pet supplies, reinforcing the ‘pet parent’ trend,” she said.
“We also discovered campaign buttons, posters and hats, which reflect the strong political affiliations that were on display during the 2024 presidential campaign.”
Also found was a Rolex 18K gold watch valued at $20,000.
Other valuables include an 18K white gold solitaire ring, a Louis Vuitton handbag and suitcase, Chanel loafers and various designer clothes.
“In the five years since the pandemic, unclaimed bags have been filled with comfort wear and athleisure, likely due to the rise of hybrid and remote work settings,” said Hood.
She said that Unclaimed Baggage has seen a substantial increase in more casual clothing, reflecting a shift to a more relaxed society.
Frequently found items detailed in the report are undergarments, pants, books, shoes and phones.
“Hundreds of new products are added every day,” says the Unclaimed Baggage website.
