Bryan Owens, owner of the Unclaimed Baggage store: “It’s like Christmas every day – we never know what we’ll find”

Tucked away in the town of Scottsboro, Alabama, lies the one-of-a-kind retail phenomenon Unclaimed Baggage, where the forgotten luggage of air travellers gets a second life.

Each day this 50,000-square-foot store receives thousands of items, everything from jeans and electronics to tuxedos and even live snakes, all salvaged from unclaimed flights.

The operation began in 1970, when Doyle Owens was told by a friend who worked for Trailways bus service that he had piles of unclaimed luggage and didn’t know what to do with it. Owens moved quickly to buy it up in order to resell. “My dad grew up somewhat in a retail business and he thought, ‘I can help you with that,’” Doyle’s son Bryan told CNN. Over 50 years later, Unclaimed Baggage remains the only establishment of its kind in the United States.

“It’s like Christmas every day, we never know what we’ll find”

Over the decades, it has evolved far beyond a simple thrift shop, transforming into a major attraction, welcoming over a million visitors a year from across the country and around the world.

Airlines typically hold onto unclaimed luggage for 90 to 120 days while trying to track down the owners. If no one comes forward, the bags are sold en masse to the store. Once there, the contents are sorted: some items are discarded, some donated, and the rest cleaned, tested, and prepared for sale.

The store has gained its own cult following and has become something of a cultural hub. It includes a “found treasures” museum where the strangest objects are displayed, giving visitors a glimpse into the many lives behind the luggage. Everything from film props to a suit of armor are on display.

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“It’s like Christmas every day, we never know what we’ll find,” Bryan said.

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