Unclaimed Baggage — Local services in Scottsboro

I wanted to leave this review of my purchase experience with Unclaimed Baggage's online store to help anyone else who may be uncertain of buying. I was looking to purchase a wireless microphone for my band and found one of the receivers available for sale on the Unclaimed Baggage site for a great price. The first thing you normally think of when you see a great price is "this must be too good to be true", and having been scammed before online I'm always cautious. I also had never heard of the store before so that raised concern as well. The photo of the item online did not clearly show the band of the receiver which I needed to know before purchasing so I gave their customer service number a call, it took a couple of times to get though but I was able to get in touch with a wonderful lady in their online service department. She said that online items were held at a different site but offered to reach out to the warehouse, a couple of minutes later she had a better photo of the unit and was able to confirm the band number so I went ahead and made the purchase. Since it didn't show a power cable in the picture I reached out to see if they could confirm what was included, the customer service rep let me know one should be included and shared if I had any issues to reach back out. The item shipped quickly and arrived ahead of schedule, when I took it out of the box I saw it did include a power cable but one not properly rated for the device. I reached back out to customer service and shared my concern, Alicia said she would make a point to speak to her manager the next day to see what could be done, in less than 2 days time I received a follow-up email and a refund to the order to cover the cost of a replacement cable. This is some of the best customer service I have received purchasing online and everyone along the way really seemed to care about the customer. I highly recommend purchasing from Unclaimed Baggage and I will definitely continue shopping with them in the future!!!...

One Man’s Lost Luggage is Another’s Treasure (Sort Of)

Ever wondered where your lost luggage ends up when it decides to take a vacation without you? Well, pack your curiosity and head to Unclaimed Baggage in Scottsboro, Alabama, where lost bags and their contents find a new lease on life—and new owners.

This isn’t just a store; it’s the Ellis Island for wayward suitcases and their globe-trotting contents.

Unclaimed Baggage started out in 1970 when Doyle Owens bought 110 lost bags from a Trailways bus station in Washington, D.C., and decided to sell the contents. Little did he know, he was onto something big. Fast forward to today, and this place has turned into a 40,000 square foot mecca for bargain (kinda) hunters, curiosity seekers, and stories of travels gone awry.

Walking into Unclaimed Baggage, you might expect a Willy Wonka’s factory of lost items, each suitcase ready to spill its secrets. But lower those expectations—it’s more like an upscale thrift store than a treasure trove. Think of it as the place where items go when they’ve been ghosted by their owners.

The prices? Well, they aren’t the dirt-cheap deals you might hope for. Electronics are about 30% off retail, which I guess honestly isn’t too shabby compared to the Russian roulette of eBay—remember, these gadgets were in the middle of binge-watching Netflix or navigating Google Maps before they mysteriously ended up here.

So, is Unclaimed Baggage worth the trip? Absolutely—for the sheer spectacle and the chance to own a piece of someone else’s travel mishaps.

But if you’re looking for the steal of the century, you might find yourself feeling a bit lost. Just like that half-pair of designer sunglasses waiting for its other half...

The Summary For locals: it's worth stopping by to see what you can find every now and again.

For out-of-towners: Neat place worth visiting if it is part of a bigger trip. Not worth making a looong trip just for this one place.

The Details My family and I went here out of pure curiosity as part of a weekend getaway, and it was enjoyable. It would not by itself have been worth driving to from where I live, but as a stopping place it was fun.

Unclaimed Baggage is very clean, super organized, and has a ton to look through. I would say that the best deals by far can be found in the clothing sections, but they aren't all great deals. By that I mean we aren't talking Goodwill prices for everything. High end brands, of which there are plenty, still have a hefty price tag, but less than if an item were new. I'm told the books are a good deal as well, but I didn't really look through them on my visit.

The fact that they buy from all different airlines means they have quite a variety of domestic and international stuff, which makes it fun to look through.

At around 2:30 they did an in-store new arrival opening. Customers could get on a list to open newly acquired luggage. We had to leave before then, but saw plenty of customers with interest in participating.

If you are a parent, know that the majority of children's clothing is in a separate building. I thought it was odd that the whole children's section was about 50 square feet, then an employee told us the cross the parkinglot to another building. There was much, much...