WE’VE all heard of return pallets, but have you seen the lost luggage trend that’s taken social media by storm?
Recently, have been going wild for , with many splashing hundreds of pounds on the mystery bags.
Opening the burgundy luggage, the content creator admitted he was “really intrigued” as this was his first time doing “something like this before”Credit: tiktok/@touchdaligh
Other lost items, he shared in a follow-up video, included “a random briefcase” with a lock, a shirt, as well as a deep red Cartier bagCredit: tiktok/@touchdaligh
But would you risk spending over £100 on someone’s – not having a clue what you’d find inside, but with a chance that the contents could be worth thousands?
Well, one TikTok star, Carmie Sellitto, recently did, taking to the popular platform to show his 1.4million followers the contents of the £129.99 purchase.
According to Carmie, who regularly shares viral food content on his page , the came from London Heathrow, which is one of the busiest airports in the world.
“Apparently, the airport do everything they can to track down the owner for months – but unfortunately, the only option they have is to burn it, which is really not great for the environment,” he said in a recent clip .
“Or they just go through it themselves and sell anything that’s expensive – which I also do find a little weird,” Carmie claimed.
Opening the burgundy luggage, the content creator admitted he was “really intrigued” as this was his first time doing “something like this before”.
Although at first Carmie seemed to be a little confused by what he found inside the bag, he later hit the jackpot with several .
The first item he stumbled across was a pair of used Gucci trainers with the signature floral design – and these go for around £300 on eBay.
After some more rummaging through the contents, the shopper also spotted a pair of white trainers that will set you back close to £400 at Selfridges.
Other lost items, he shared in a follow-up video, included “a random briefcase” with a lock, a shirt, as well as a deep red Cartier bag.
“I started to freak out because I knew how expensive Cartier stuff can actually be,” he said.
“But then I opened it up and there was nothing in there,” Carmie shared his disappointment.
“But there was a receipt that said they spent €2,400, which is insane.”
The TikToker continued: “There was obviously stuff like underwear and socks, and stuff I didn’t want to touch, so I left it in the suitcase.”
Another hidden gem packed in the luggage was what appeared to be a Prada bag – however, the content creator wasn’t too sure whether it was a fake or the real thing.
“Then I found a vintage Louis Vuitton bag with a purse inside – that had the girl’s ID in,” Carmie claimed in the video.
After doing some digging, the TikToker realised the woman lived less than a two-hour drive away and decided he would drop it off to the owner.
Although Carmie hasn’t shared a follow-up clip of returning the luggage, he did say it “was the weirdest experience ever” in his life.
Posted five days ago, the clip has racked up more than a staggering 280k views, with dozens flocking to comments.
“If you drop that to that girl I wish you every blessing and success ! That’s such a nice thing to do,” wrote one person.
“Oh Carmie that’s a wonderful thing that you are doing. Honesty pays at the end of the day…maybe not always in monetary terms but you will be rewarded one day!” another agreed.
“Next time, please wear protective gloves, safety first and all that,” someone else advised.
In 2024, saw a 100 per cent spike in searches for “” – abandoned suitcases usually full to the brim with clothes, souvenirs and random items.
The “lost and unclaimed” luggage comes from “the world’s busiest airports” and while some may find designer buys, quirky gifts or sometimes even gadgets, the possibilities are as varied as the who once packed them.
But there are a number of major drawbacks when buying lost luggage…the size and brand of the suitcase you receive will be totally random.
Not only this, but if a person loses their luggage on the way back from a holiday, there’s likely to be worn inside.
According to those at Undelivrd – a platform flogging unclaimed bags – selling the lost luggage is a “sustainable and economical way of dealing” with it.
Rather than piles of suitcases heading straight to the dump, are auctioning them off to give the and the items inside a new “forever home”.
Of course, personal details are removed, but those at Undelivrd claimed that “apart from that, everything is left as is”.
How to buy lost luggage
THE famous US store which sells off unclaimed baggage has launched an online shop - so you can buy more travellers' lost items.
The Unclaimed Baggage Center, located in Alabama, has long been a destination for treasure hunters wanting to find a bargain from the abandoned suitcases.
Located in the tiny town of Scottsboro, which has a population of 14,000, it is an unlikely tourist hotspot.
Inside is a megastore of misplaced possessions taken from tens of thousands of suitcases, rucksacks and duffel bags, all lost on commercial flights across the US.
Now, you don’t have to travel to the US and can do your shopping online with their new online store.
The centre has launched the online shopping experience as part of their 50th anniversary, having opened in 1970.
Everything from clothing to electronics are found on the website – current items for sale include high-street dresses from $8 up to 18K bracelets worth over $13,000.
They also have a weird and wonderful section which ranges from gold necklaces and diving equipment to designer gowns and signed memorabilia.
Legally, airlines have a duty to reunite luggage with their owners within 90 days, but if that fails, bags end up at the centre.
So frequent are these deliveries that the Unclaimed Baggage Center has around one million items on sale at any time, with 7,000 new items added to the shop floor every day.
Not everything that is found is sold – a third is binned, including all underwear, while another third of it is donated to charity.
Brenda Cantrell, the store’s brand ambassador, says: “Less than half a per cent of all lost luggage fails to make it back to its owners, but that’s still thousands of bags every year.
“And the vast majority of those make their way here. We have exclusive contracts with all the major US carriers, making us the only store of this kind anywhere in the country.”
According to journalist Jonathon Thompson , the 40,000sqft centre is “more like a swanky department store than a musty charity shop,” adding that items are separated into sections, which includes electronics, jewellery and even wedding clothes.
Customers have also found bargains while shopping there – one person bought a £65 vase, only to find out later it was worth £15,000, while one piece of art valued at £45 was actually worth £20,000.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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