Just as in flea markets, in online commerce there is ‘the paca’

Unclaimed Baggage is an online store where users can literally find ‘jewels’ from unclaimed luggage containing sometimes luxury accessories, clothing and footwear.

“As happens with the bales that you find in San Fe or El Salado, there are designer clothes at very affordable prices or basic clothes that you find cheaper than in stores,” says Avilés. Although he continues to attend street markets from time to time, he has found in these types of points an option to look for ‘more chosen’ clothes.

According to a report, Unclaimed Baggage hopes that airlines will follow the process of trying to reunite a lost suitcase with its owner and, failing this, they buy these bags to later sell batches of items or donate them to charities. In addition to the website, they have a physical store in Alabama where customers come to try on clothing or accessories.

And from their website the selection of these items is also categorized, as you can find items for babies, women, accessories or even luxury collections with selected products.

The Unclaimed Baggage store opened its doors in 1970. Bryan Owens’ father, the current owner of this business, started this project after a friend who worked for the Trailways bus service told him that he had mountains of unclaimed luggage and I didn’t know what to do with it.

In 2023, airlines lost an average of 6.9 suitcases per 1,000 passengers, according to the consulting firm SITA. Of these, 99.5% end up being reunited with their owners, but the small fraction of lost suitcases is accumulating. In August 2024 alone, SITA statistics showed that airlines mishandled more than 260,000 bags in the United States.

Although it is possible to purchase products from Mexico, shipping costs vary and depending on the type of item, users may prefer other auction options such as those on Amazon.

‘Warehouse Auctions’ is another option that the Seattle-based e-commerce has and offers products that have been returned by customers, that have the box open or that have been slightly damaged during handling in the warehouse, at a price even lower and with the benefits of all Amazon services, that is, standardized shipping rates, 30 days to return the product and customer service.

Similar to Unclaimed Baggage, the products are categorized and you can find everything from jewelry and shoes to musical instruments.

Called in the United States Amazon Warehouse, it works in the following way: when a product returns to the warehouse, the brand receives it and its operation is evaluated and the impact it had on the return, that is, it is verified if the bumps or scratches do not interfere with the functioning of the products and from this their new price is determined. Once this data is available, it is categorized on the auction page and sold at a reduced price.