Lost luggage auctions have been growing in popularity for a few years. While bidding on and then rummaging through a stranger’s bag for valuables might seem strange, the UK appears to be warming to this unorthodox side hustle.
Aber was genau ist eine Auktion für verlorenes Gepäck? Was kann man bei ihnen finden, und warum sind sie so beliebt?
Als Liebhaber von Fundsachen fühlten wir uns verpflichtet, diese brennenden Fragen zu beantworten.
Contents
Why do we have lost luggage auctions?
What is a lost luggage auction and how do they work?
Auktionshäuser für verlorenes Gepäck
Wie viel muss ich für die Versteigerung von verlorenem Gepäck ausgeben?
Five tips for bidding at a lost luggage auction
Warum sind Auktionen für verlorenes Gepäck so beliebt?
Sind Auktionen für verlorenes Gepäck lohnenswert?
Notlosts Meinung zu Auktionen für verlorenes Gepäck
Why do we have lost luggage auctions?
According to SITA, 2025 saw 24 million pieces of luggage go missing between airports. Just let that sink in. Ok, now imagine you’re an airline (not particularly relatable, we know, but try). Every day, you move thousands of bags on and off planes. Some go missing, and while most are returned to their rightful owners, others get lost.
After a while, it becomes clear that a bag isn’t getting claimed (airlines generally give it three months). So what do you do with it? Chuck it down a well? Well, that has environmental considerations and comes at a high cost. The smart move is to sell it via a lost luggage auction.
Now, the airlines don’t hold the bidding themselves—that wouldn’t be a good look. Instead, they ship the suitcases to auction houses to do their dirty work for them. So how do lost luggage auctions work?
What are lost luggage auctions and how do they work?
Once the airport gives up on reuniting a bag with its owner, it’s shipped off to an auction house to be sold. Here’s how the process plays out.
Sent to auction
Once the airport gives up trying to reunite it with its owner, the suitcase is shipped off to an auction house, either for an in-person event or an online sale.
Hammer time
Time to put your money where your mouth is. Some auctions allow peeking inside the suitcase, but most don’t, adding an alluring mystery to the process.
Highest bidder wins
Whoever bids highest takes home the spoils, although some auction results are revealed the next day. The auction houses also take their cut (we’ll get into that a bit more later).
The unboxing
Maybe you can wait till home, perhaps its a kerbside treat. Either way, you’ll soon discover whether you’ve found 500 iphones or just someone’s socks.
So now you know why lost luggage auctions exist and how they work. Still interested? Let’s explore how you can find one of your very own.
Auktionshäuser für verlorenes Gepäck
Greasby's
One of London’s foremost auction houses, Greasby’s, plies its trade in Tooting and maintains lost luggage partnerships with British Airways and Heathrow. Auctions occur every Tuesday, with viewings on Monday. Greasby’s sells both empty suitcases and those with their contents intact.
📍 Tooting, London 🗓 Weekly 🤝 In-person
Maulbeerbank
Based near Glasgow but hosting all events online, Mulberry Bank holds bi-monthly auctions for unclaimed lost luggage. Empty suitcases and their contents have been tragically separated and are sold apart. Mulberry also sells airport lost property, something we have strong feelings about.
📍 Near Glasgow 🗓 Bi-monthly 🎫 Online only
Wellers
If the ‘blind auction’ idea doesn’t appeal, Wellers might be the place for you. Based in Guildford, but also operating online auctions, Wellers sells off empty suitcases and contents separately, with different items bundled together for your perusal pre bidding war.
📍 Guildford, Surrey 🗓 Weekly 🎫 In-person + online
BCVA
Bristol’s BCVA holds online auctions for lost luggage. Viewings are not allowed before the auction, meaning excitement runs high on game day. All purchases come with free postage, a nice perk for those seeking their fortune.
📍 Bristol 🗓 Regular/ongoing 🎫 Online only
Wie viel muss ich ausgeben?
You can expect to pay between £15 and £80 for someone else’s suitcase. It might not sound like much, but you must consider other costs. First, the auction house adds its expenses.
This could be a buyer’s premium, which ranges from an added 15-20% onto the sale price or a flat VAT rate of 20%.
Die anderen Kosten sind Ihre Zeit. Einfach einen Koffer zu öffnen und einen Wert zu beschwören, bringt keine Rendite. Sie brauchen jemanden, der die Artikel kauft, sie möglicherweise auf verschiedenen Plattformen anbietet und sich mit Leuten auseinandersetzt, die 1 Pfund unter dem Verkaufspreis bieten, bevor sie Sie abwimmeln.
Five lost luggage auction tips
So you’ve put your money where your mouth is. The suitcases are up and you’re looking to bag a bargain. What’s the approach?
1) Understand the format before you arrive
Different houses offer different approaches — for example, Greasby’s works on a sealed bid system, so you don’t know what you’re up against, with winners announced the day after.
2) Know your suitcase brands
While the make isn’t a tell-all that there’s gold inside, knowing your Samsonite from your Tumi may help you at least snag some sturdy suitcases.
3) Research your auction house
Some houses will list the auction catalogue online beforehand, so understanding what’s available (or even copying it into an AI tool to understand where the value might lie) may give you the edge.
4) Set a budget
Most people see these auctions as a bit of fun, and nothing dampens the joy like massively overspending because you got caught up in a bidding war over what turns out to be someone’s old newspapers. Don’t forget to factor in the fees…
5) Have a post auction plan
If you’re bidding in person, work out how you’re getting a stranger’s suitcase home. Whatever you find inside, have a rough plan for it: keep, sell on, or donate, so you’re not left with a hallway full of someone else’s old clothes with nowhere to go.
Warum sind Auktionen für verlorenes Gepäck so beliebt?
While lost luggage auctions have existed for some time, awareness has exploded in recent years. But why? As is the cause of so many crazes in modern times, we can thank several videos uploaded to social media platforms, namely TikTok.
Darin führten Möchtegern-Schatzsucher nach dem Besuch einer Auktion eine Gepäckautopsie durch, ermittelten den Wert ihrer Beute und diskutierten über deren Inhalt.
It made for engaging content, and several media outlets picked up the trend. In fact, it was so popular that British GQ even tried their hand at an auction. Whether or not the fad will become a mainstay of UK thrift culture remains to be seen.
Sind Auktionen für verlorenes Gepäck lohnenswert?
Wir sind uns nicht sicher, aber wir können mit Sicherheit sagen, dass Sie wahrscheinlich eine Tasche mit den Kleidern von jemandem erhalten werden. Wenn Sie auf einen versteckten Schatz hoffen, ist eine Auktion für verlorenes Gepäck der falsche Ort.
Die meisten Koffer wurden bereits nach Ausweisen durchsucht, um den Besitzer ausfindig zu machen, und wenn keiner auftaucht, werden die Wertgegenstände oft herausgenommen und separat verkauft.
However, this doesn’t mean there isn’t money to be made. Several creators have shown there is value and mysteries to be found. One of the more prominent is ecomKings0, who regularly unboxes lost luggage to mixed results. You can see one of his videos below
Notlosts Meinung zu Auktionen für verlorenes Gepäck
The sheer amount of luggage making its way to market is worth noting, with Greasby’s alone receiving up to 300 bags monthly from Heathrow, Stansted and Gatwick.
The post-COVID holiday boom is likely still affecting this. Following restrictions being lifted in 2022, a perfect storm of skyrocketing passenger numbers and low staff levels meant lost luggage doubled, with much of it not finding its way home in the chaos.
While this backlog might still be affecting the number of forsaken suitcases making their way to market, lost luggage rates have now returned to normal levels. With the dust settled, methods to reduce passenger bags disappearing into the abyss should be explored.
Naturally, we dream of a world where more items are returned to passengers, and, by airlines adopting our centralised lost luggage system, they can increase repatriation rates and customer satisfaction.
The result? More happy passengers but less amusing TikTok videos of people tearing through a stranger’s holiday fits
FAQ’s
What happens to unclaimed luggage at airports?
Unclaimed luggage is transferred from airlines to auction houses, where it’s sold at lost luggage auctions. This process ensures bags are reused instead of discarded.
Can you buy lost luggage online?
Yes. In the UK, unclaimed baggage is sold through online auctions at Mulberry Bank, BCVA, and sometimes Greasby’s, with shipping available to buyers.
How much does lost luggage sell for?
Lost luggage usually sells for £15–£80 at auction. Buyers should also expect additional costs, such as auction fees, premiums, or VAT.
Is buying lost luggage ethical?
Items only reach auction after airlines and lost property offices have exhausted reasonable efforts to return bags, with auctioning treated as a last resort. If you’re interested in what means, our guide to lost property law in the UK explains the rules operators follow.
Do lost luggage auctions contain valuables?
Most auctioned luggage contains clothes and personal items. High-value goods are often removed by airlines, though occasional valuables do appear.
Sind Auktionen für verlorenes Gepäck lohnenswert?
They can be fun and sometimes profitable, but most buyers view suitcase auctions as entertainment or a side hustle, rather than a guaranteed profit.
What happens to luggage that doesn’t sell?
Unsold lots are typically re-listed in a later auction, sometimes at a reduced price. Persistently unsold items may eventually be donated, recycled, or disposed of