Photo: Twenty47studio / Moment / Getty Images
The Wildest Things Found in Lost Luggage This Year
If you’ve ever stood at baggage claim watching the carousel spin and praying your suitcase shows up, you’re not alone. With nearly a billion people flying across the country last year, a few bags are bound to wander off. Most eventually make their way back home, but the unlucky ones end up at Unclaimed Baggage, a business that’s been sorting through forgotten suitcases for more than 50 years.
And every year, they release their Found Report, which is basically a treasure map of the weird, the valuable, and the “why would anyone pack that” items left behind.
Let’s get into it.
The Most Common Finds
Before we get to the wild stuff, here’s what shows up the most:
- T-shirts. So many T-shirts. Nearly 210,000 of them.
- Men’s pants (128,000+).
- Jewelry (almost 58,000 pieces).
- Mobile phones (more than 51,000).
Basically, if you’ve ever packed it in a hurry, someone else has probably forgotten it entirely.
The Big-Ticket Items
Some travelers apparently pack like they’re moving into a luxury vault.
- Diamond earrings worth an estimated $43,000.
- A Rolex with an 18K gold and diamond dial valued around $35,000.
- A Tosca Bass Clarinet worth about $17,000.
- A Balenciaga leather jacket, a Chanel lambskin handbag, and a fully loaded 2023 MacBook Pro.
Imagine opening a suitcase and finding a gold bar. Someone at Unclaimed Baggage actually did.
Pop Culture Surprises
It’s not all diamonds and designer labels. Some finds feel like they were packed by a time traveler.
- A 1960s Ken doll with its carrying case.
- A Weezer record signed by Rivers Cuomo.
- KISS-inspired boots that probably have stories of their own.
Sports Fans Leave Stuff Too
If you’re a collector, these might hurt a little:
- A baseball signed by Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers.
- Boxing gloves signed by undefeated World Champion Terence Crawford.
And Now… The Truly Weird
This is the part everyone secretly loves. The items that make you stop and say, “I’m sorry… what?”
- A taxidermy deer form
- A frog purse
- A pre–World War I U.S. Army bayonet
- A giant stuffed goose
- A long bone specimen
- An armadillo purse
- A 12-pack of sardines
- A suitcase full of rat poison
- A suitcase full of fake human bones
Somewhere out there is a traveler who really needs to explain the goose.
CLICK HERE for the full story
Photo: Getty Images