Live Snakes, Birkin Bags, Hoverboards, and More: Life Inside the Store That Sells Lost Luggage

Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More Responsibly · May 23, 2024 · 38m

What happens to suitcases that can’t be reunited with their owners? It’s not something we think about that often, but for Bryan Owens, it’s an entire business. He’s the CEO and now-owner of the Scottsboro, Alabama–based Unclaimed Baggage, the only store in the United States that sells lost luggage. As you’ll hear in today’s episode, his dad launched the business more than 50 years ago with an old Chevy pickup and $300. And now the business stocks more than 7,000 new items a day.

The company recently released its first annual Found Report, a deep dive into the more than 2 million items that…