What happens to the luggage that nobody claims?
By Kelly Henderson (follow Kelly on Twitter: @kellythekiwi)
Each year thousands and thousands of luggage never leave the airport; they are either lost by the airlines or left unclaimed on the conveyor belt. But they don’t just disappear; they are taken to one of the many auction houses throughout the country and sold for a fraction of the value.
There’s no official list of auction houses but British Airways sells its lost baggage at Greasbys in Tooting, all of Gatwick Airports bags go to Wellers and if you are in Hertfordshire then head along to Hertfordshire Auctions for Luton’s goodies.
Pic taken a.abcnews.com
Viewings normally take place before the auction but you don’t get to see inside the case so the content tends to be a bit of a mixed bag. Keep in mind that the auctioneers will take out things of real value to sell separately so you may just end up with a bag of dirty laundry!
But, with suitcases normally going for anywhere between £5 and £50 and previous finds including wedding dresses, expensive toiletries and designer clothing you are bound to get something that you can resell on eBay. If the items aren’t something that you want for yourself (and I know it is tempting to keep everything) then write up a good advertisement, upload some pictures and let the bidding war begin – there’s no reason why something you bought for £50 couldn’t go for £200 online.
Be careful when you go to the auction – go with a budget and stick with it. Otherwise, you might end up with loads of dirty knickers you can’t get rid of!
If you have a nice Tip to share just drop me a line at kelly@brokeinlondon.com.
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You may also want to check our post about How to Sell your Old CDs and DVDs.
