In northeast Alabama, a 50,000-square-foot store offers a unique shopping experience: the chance to buy items from lost airline luggage. Unclaimed Baggage in Scottsboro is the only store of its kind in the United States, attracting over one million visitors annually from all 50 states and 40 countries.
From Lost to Found: A Unique Business Model
Airlines make significant efforts to reunite travelers with their lost bags for at least 90 days. However, a small fraction, less than 0.05 percent of checked bags, remains unclaimed. These bags find their way to Unclaimed Baggage, where workers meticulously sort, clean, and process the contents. Over half of the items are donated or recycled if they’re not suitable for sale, while about one-third makes it to the retail floor.
The store’s inventory is vast and varied, ranging from designer sunglasses to medieval armor and even a fragment of a meteorite. For shoppers, each item holds a story, a mystery of its own. This unique aspect transforms a typical shopping trip into an adventure, where one might stumble upon a Jim Henson puppet from Labyrinth or a Rolex watch worth $36,000.
A Treasure Trove of Surprises
Founded in 1970 by Doyle Owens, an insurance salesman, the business began with a borrowed pickup truck and a $300 loan. Owens initially bought unclaimed luggage from the Trailways Bus Line in Washington, D.C., selling the items on card tables in a rented house. The venture took a significant turn in 1978 when it signed its first contract with Eastern Airlines.
Today, Doyle’s son, Bryan Owens, and his wife, Sharon, run the store. They expanded the retail space and added a museum and cafe, further enhancing the visitor experience.
The store offers a constantly changing inventory, with approximately 7,000 new items added daily. This ensures that every visit is unique, with a mix of clothing, electronics, fine jewelry, and collectibles. While high-value items like diamond earrings and Rolex watches occasionally appear, most finds are everyday items, such as the 210,000 T-shirts processed in a single year.
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The Museum of Found Treasures showcases over 100 unusual items discovered in lost luggage. Highlights include ancient Egyptian artifacts, medieval armor, and a basketball signed by Michael Jordan. Visitors can explore the museum at their own pace, adding a sense of wonder to their shopping experience.
One unique feature is The Baggage Experience, where one visitor daily gets to sort through a freshly arrived lost suitcase. This interactive demonstration offers a behind-the-scenes look at how lost luggage is processed, with past finds ranging from rat poison to a taxidermy deer form.
To keep shoppers energized, the store includes Cups Café, serving Starbucks coffee, freshly baked pastries, and homemade meals. The café’s award-winning chicken salad is a must-try, making it a perfect spot to recharge before continuing the treasure hunt.
For deeper discounts, the adjacent Bargain Basement offers three additional floors of special savings, ensuring there’s something for every type of shopper.
The Baggage Experience lets visitors sort through newly arrived lost suitcases. Past discoveries include rat poison, a fake skeleton, and a taxidermy deer form, showcasing the unpredictability of each bag. This interactive activity provides insight into the store’s sorting process, adding an educational element.
The Shopping Experience and Unique Finds
Visitors to the store often appreciate the ever-changing inventory, with racks that hold items from travelers’ past trips. The store’s setup encourages a sense of discovery, as shoppers never know what they might find. Some enjoy the irony of purchasing items that others lost while traveling, imagining the stories behind each piece.
