Nation’s only retailer of lost luggage brings a truckload of adventure to all 50 states
SCOTTSBORO, Ala., June 23, 2022 — Unclaimed Baggage, a popular tourist destination and the country’s only merchant of lost baggage, has embarked on a 50-state road tour in celebration of its 50th anniversary.
Led by “Hugo,” a restored 1965 Chevrolet truck named after Unclaimed Baggage’s founder, the tour commenced in May 2022 by following Owens’ original route from Scottsboro to Washington, D.C. Over the course of the tour, Hugo will be seen all over the U.S. and social media, posing with some of the country’s most iconic and unusual roadside attractions.
Already underway, the highly anticipated (and COVID-delayed) “50 years, 50 states” summer road tour will visit all 50 states over the span of 17 weeks, surprising and delighting fans with games, prizes and experiences unique to Unclaimed Baggage. The tour is an expression of gratitude for the fans, team members and community who have supported the family-run business over the course of its history.
Popping up at iconic locations across the nation, Unclaimed Baggage will roll out some of its classic experiences for the public during the tour, including:
The Baggage Experience: Guests and media members have the chance to open and sort the contents of a real unclaimed bag, which could contain anything from gym clothes to a live rattlesnake – it has happened before!
The Museum of Oddities: Guests can explore a collection of the strangest items discovered in lost bags over the years and the stories behind them.
Finders Keepers: Inspired by the TV game show “Let’s Make a Deal,” guests and members of the media can select a suitcase filled with mystery items found in orphaned bags.
Photo ops with “Hugo:” A replica of the famous 1965 Chevy truck that picked up the first unclaimed bags in 1970 will be at each stop.
Unclaimed Baggage attracts over 1 million tourists annually from all 50 states and 40-plus countries. These treasure seekers travel far and wide to visit the 50,000-square-foot store where they can admire and purchase the weird and wonderful goods that airlines and other transportation industries have been unable to reunite with their former owners. Store finds range from clothing and sporting goods to musical instruments, vintage concert t-shirts and even exotic treasures, such as a 40-carat emerald, all priced at a bargain.
“It’s remarkable to think that a little town like Scottsboro, Alabama could blossom into a global tourist phenomenon because of our unique business,” said Bryan Owens, owner of Unclaimed Baggage and son of the organization’s founder, Hugo Doyle Owens. “My father started with a borrowed pickup truck, a $300 loan and a dream. Fifty years ago, he visited Washington, D.C. to purchase the very first batch of unclaimed luggage from Trailways Bus Line. Today, we’re extraordinarily humbled by the enthusiasm around our business and excited to embark on this unprecedented celebratory tour.”
In 2020, when the pandemic caused Unclaimed Baggage to temporarily close its doors for the first time in its history, the pause in foot traffic served as a catalyst to develop a one-of-a-kind online store that has attracted more than 5.5 million visitors and counting. As air travel and in-store retail have largely resumed, Unclaimed Baggage was eager to move forward with its planned road tour, initially scheduled for March 2020.
The Journey from the Baggage Carousel to Scottsboro, Alabama
How does lost luggage make its way from the baggage carousel to the Unclaimed Baggage store? When a suitcase gets lost in transit and can’t be returned to its owner — often because of a missing identification tag — the airline compensates the traveler. Airlines conduct a comprehensive 90-day baggage tracing process, after which only 0.0003% of the billion or so passenger bags checked every year are deemed truly lost. Unclaimed Baggage buys the orphaned luggage and gives it a second life. The retailer stocks approximately 7,000 unique, heavily discounted items each day in the retail store, and thousands more online, where they are discovered and “reclaimed” by new owners.
“From the earliest days, our goal has been to find a purpose for any item possible,” said Owens. “Over the past five decades, we have established partnerships with dozens of local, national and global charity organizations so that any leftover items can meet a need. Generally, for every item purchased through Unclaimed Baggage, we gift another item to under-resourced neighborhoods through our foundation Reclaimed for Good. With such an assorted collection of items in our facilities, it’s possible for us to provide support for a variety of causes about which we’re passionate.”
As the Unclaimed Baggage “50 Years, 50 States” tour continues trucking along this summer, the public is encouraged to follow the adventure online to see where Hugo is headed next. For information, visit unclaimedbaggage.com/blogs/road-tour.
About Unclaimed Baggage
Located in Scottsboro, Alabama, Unclaimed Baggage is a one-of-a-kind retail store that draws one million shoppers annually from all 50 states and around the world. As the country’s only merchant of unclaimed and lost airline baggage and its contents, Unclaimed Baggage offers a treasure trove of goods that airlines have been unable to reunite with their former owners. The store has made national news for its ever-changing array of unique items from around the world, all sold at an incredible value. As part of its commitment to service and generosity, the company created the Reclaimed for Good foundation which has given millions of dollars’ worth of product and profit to meet needs around the globe. Reclaimed for Good’s Love Luggage initiative also supports thousands of foster children by providing personalized suitcases to replace the garbage bags many typically use to transport their belongings. Learn about Unclaimed Baggage at unclaimedbaggage.com.