Updated June 27, 2020.
It’s a very special What I Wore Wednesday! If you read yesterday’s post, you know I spent a whole day at Unclaimed Baggage in Scottsboro, Alabama! Each day one lucky visitor gets to have “The Unclaimed Baggage Experience” and is tasked with sorting through a piece of luggage. So this isn’t really what I wore so much as what someone else wore–and then what they left unclaimed. So how do they decide what stays and what goes? Read on to find out!
The Unclaimed Baggage Experience
At 2:30 every day, visitors have the opportunity to put their name in a basket for a chance to open up a piece of luggage to see what’s inside and sort the contents into four categories:
Give It Away
Unclaimed Baggage donates 1/3 of what they receive to charity! This could be organizations that donate items to underprivileged people all over the world, foster children in the US, or other charitable organizations. They also donate usable suitcases to foster children through Luv Luggage.
Sell It
The things that end up in this basket can go right onto the floor for sale after they’re priced! Very few things go in this basket as most items need to be cleaned before being put on sale.
Clean It
This basket is for clothes that need to be washed for dry cleaned, jewelry that needs to be cleaned and appraised, and anything else that might have touched someone’s skin and will touch the buyer’s skin as well.
Trash It
Some stuff never makes it anywhere but the trash! This is for things like used makeup, chapstick, etc. that’s just a little too gross or personal to sell or give away.
Suiting Up
Everyone who touches someone else’s unclaimed baggage has to be ready for dirty laundry or unexpected messes! If you’re chosen, you’ll get to rock the orange apron and blue gloves, just in case this luggage was on its way from a destination (dirty laundry!) instead of to a destination (when things are still clean or unused).
The Moment of Truth
Ready to dive in? Here we go! This one had some jewelry, contacts cases, makeup, a robe, a towel, and some underthings waiting for us inside!
Once we got all that sorted out, it was time for a little caffeination. Good thing Unclaimed Baggage has a cafe in the store! It’s called Cups and they serve Starbucks coffee!
Are you up for an Unclaimed Baggage Experience? I’m so glad we stayed for it!
Want more? Check out my Packing Page for how to pack right!
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I’m super conflicted about this as my like travel nightmare is that my luggage goes missing. But that’s why you don’t pack anything you treasure dearly in your checked bag. Very interesting!
Me, too! Only about 0.5% of luggage and cargo never finds its owner, but there’s always that chance! And that’s why I never check a bag if I can help it!
That makes me feel so much better! But like the anxieties of living abroad haha.
Okay, this has made me definitely want to see this for myself. (Road trip!!!) Thanks for a weird blog entry!
Happy to inspire! 😉 It was tons of fun, and I just wish it wasn’t so far away because I’d love to go there often just to look around!