Treasure or Trash? Huge Unclaimed Baggage Event Makes NYC Debut Sunday

For the first time ever, the nation’s only retailer for lost luggage will host a one-of-a-kind silent auction in New York City this weekend — and it is all for a good cause.

On Sunday, at the Greenpoint Terminal Market, Unclaimed Baggage will auction off a Samsonite carry-on suitcase containing more than 10 luxury items, including designer sunglasses, Airpods, an iPad and a designer scarf, among other curated items. The silent auction will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a starting bid of $500.

All the proceeds from the auction will be donated to The Bowery Mission, which benefits local New Yorkers impacted by homelessness and hunger.

Unclaimed Baggage will present the donation to The Bowery Mission on Monday.

Unclaimed Baggage, which will host various events in different city locations, will also hold the opportunity for participants to take part in different activities including: browsing the“The Museum of Oddities,” a collection of the strangest items discovered in lost bags over the years; viewing a replica of the famous 1965 Chevy pickup that picked up the first orphaned luggage in 1970; games, and a raffle for a chance to win a trip to the Unclaimed Baggage store in Scottsboro, Alabama.

The Unclaimed Baggage store was founded 50 years ago. While the majority of lost bags are reunited with their owner, those that are now end up at the store. The retailer, in partnership with domestic airlines, reclaims lost luggage from airlines and other travel businesses to resell, repurpose, or recycle the items.

The Unclaimed Baggage store sees more than one million visitors annually.

The Unclaimed Baggage events will be held this weekend at the following locations:

• Bleecker Street Festival – Saturday from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
  Carmine Street and Bleecker Street, New York, NY 10014
• Greenpoint Terminal Market – Sunday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  2 Noble St, Brooklyn, NY 11222

For more information, click here.