Their Loss, Your Gain

EVER WONDER WHAT happened to the bag you lost at the airport, or the stereo that was ripped out of your car six months ago?

Someone could be buying it — perfectly legally, mind you — right now, and at a very good price. The airline industry, police departments and the U.S. Postal Service have systems in place to sell unclaimed goods to the public.

Buying such goods, of course, means you'd be profiting from someone else's loss. Right or wrong, the bargains abound. At the Unclaimed Baggage Center, for example, you can get a 4GB iPod Mini for $150. Elsewhere, the recently discontinued model is still going to cost around $200. Naturally, you need to do some research and be familiar with your refund and return options.

Here are three ways to claim someone else's property.

The Property Room
A web site that gives local police auctions a national audience.

Where the goods come from: More than 550 police departments around the country offer up inventory from their property rooms, says Property Room founder and chairman Tom Lane. The goods include lost (and unclaimed) items that get turned in to the police station, stolen property seized from criminals, forfeited property and evidence from various cases. The Property Room picks up items from stations around the country and sorts, cleans and tests them before listing them online.
What you'll find: Most of the items fall into expected categories — jewelry, car stereos, bicycles and electronics. You might also find clothing and household goods, such as kitchen sinks or a bagel maker. Recently, a Burberry cashmere scarf (estimated retail value of $150) was sold at auction for $38.99. You can also report stolen items. If yours is located, it will be returned to you, free of charge.
How to buy: The free site is similar to eBay, says Lane. You must register for the site before bidding on items. If you win an auction, the purchase is charged to your registered credit card and shipped out the next day.
When to buy: The site is open for bidding 24/7, and listed items change all the time.

United States Post Office
Lost and undeliverable packages end up at regional mail recovery centers, and then at auctions in Atlanta and St. Paul, Minn.

Where the goods come from: Mail that's addressed improperly, is damaged or becomes separated from its packaging ends up at regional mail recovery centers, says USPS spokeswoman Monica Suraci. "We try to find its proper home," she says. Most packages are kept for 90 days, and anything that shows evidence of being insured is kept for a full year. Then, the items are sent to auction.
What you'll find: No lost letters here. Some auctions consist solely of books, while others have a broader scope. You'll find bulk lots, as well as auctions for individual items. "Basically, you'll find almost anything you can mail," Suraci says, though items like books, CDs and artwork figure prominently. You won't find items that shouldn't have been mailed in the first place, such as firearms or hazardous materials. They're sent to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, says Suraci.
How to buy: The biggest auctions are held every two weeks at the mail recovery centers in Atlanta and St. Paul. Inspection of the items is generally held from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., with the auction beginning at 10 a.m. No registration is required. Smaller auctions may also be held at other regional mail recovery centers — call for details. You can find your regional mail recovery center at usps.com.
When to buy: Increased mailings during the holiday season means auctions may be heftier than usual in the spring, says Suraci. That's a good time to buy.

The Unclaimed Baggage Center
This Scottsboro, Ala., center — and its associated web site — turns lost luggage into bargain finds. Although the center is in the middle of nowhere, it has become one of the state's biggest tourist attractions, with more than one million visitors a year.

Where the goods come from: The center has longstanding arrangements with all the major U.S. airlines to purchase unclaimed baggage and air cargo, as well as lost (and unclaimed) items left on planes or in airports. Brenda Cantrell, director of retail sales and marketing, says airlines usually hold onto bags for 90 days or so, trying to reunite them with the owner. If the owner can't be found, the airline sells the unclaimed luggage to the center. (Travelers who have lost luggage typically get a settlement from the airline for their missing property.) Employees bring the luggage to the center in Scottsboro, where it's opened and sorted. All items are cleaned and processed before being put on display in the store.
What you'll find: The center is set up like a department store, with expected sections of clothing, jewelry, shoes, books, electronics and, of course, luggage. Some of the more unusual items that have turned up: a 40.95-carat emerald, a suit of armor, a live rattlesnake and a fully packed parachute. At press time, the web store was offering new men's Diesel Levan jeans for $100. Regularly, the brand costs upward of $200.
How to buy: The center is open Monday through Saturday. You can also purchase select inventory items from the web site. Only a small percentage of goods are posted for sale on the site.
When to buy: "Every spring, we get phone calls from people asking, 'Have you gotten in the Christmas bags yet?'" says Cantrell. More than 7,000 items are brought out to the store daily. The center tends to be busier on weekends and holidays, so if you're looking for fewer crowds, you might visit on a weekday.

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