Lost luggage auctions

Is it all pants? 

Not necessarily – you may get lucky with designer goods. In fact, as some auction houses now separate the contents from the suitcases, you may not have to bother with any dirty laundry at all.

Sale prices vary, so expect to pay anything from £30 for a case, including fees.

The top auction houses for lost luggage

To bid, you often need to go to an auction house on the day and bid in person, though more and more now offer online bidding. You'll have to register to bid either way.

You can often view items in person the day before an auction too. At all the auction houses below, you’ll need to collect items in person or arrange your own courier, as delivery isn’t offered.

It's worth asking questions and inspecting goods carefully where possible, as items are sold as seen.

• Greasbys – in-person only (south London). Greasbys works a little differently to most auction houses. You can’t bid online or in the room. Instead, you need to go on viewing day to inspect items (usually a Tuesday), inspect the item and leave a bid with the maximum amount you want to pay. Do note there's an £100 deposit, which is refunded or deducted from your bill. It then emails successful bidders. Currently Greasbys charges a 23% (plus VAT) buyer’s premium.

• Mulberry Bank– online and in person (Glasgow). Mulberry Bank in Glasgow says it typically runs two unclaimed airport lost property auctions a month. You’ll need to register before bidding online. Mulberry Bank only sell empty cases – the contents are always taken out and sold separately in batches. For example, lots we saw included boxes of umbrellas, sunglasses or cosmetics. Do check online bidding fees, as they can push total costs to 32% above hammer price.

• Wellers Auctions – online and in person (Guildford, Surrey). Wellers holds general auctions on Mondays, which often include unclaimed baggage and lost property. The suitcases are usually sold empty (the contents are removed before sale), so it’s more about the case itself than what’s inside. You need to register to bid, and online auctions are run via Easy Live Auction. Buyer’s premiums apply (check the listing). See full details.

• BCVA – online only (Bristol). BCVA (Bristol Commercial Valuers & Auctioneers) runs auctions that often include airport lost property and unclaimed luggage. You’ll need to register in advance, and auctions are held online, though you can view in person on set days beforehand. It usually sells in bulk or individual cases if fancy brands. As usual a buyer’s premium and VAT applies.

• Local auction houses and marketplaces. Many smaller auctioneers occasionally handle lost property. It's worth checking upcoming auction catalogues.

Watch out for steep extra fees

It's important to understand that at auction houses, your final cost will be much more than the amount the item closes for after you've bid. There are two fees that are usually applied, so do your sums:

• The buyer’s premium: This is typically 15-30% of the item's price – you also pay VAT on this premium. So if you successfully bid £30 for a case, and the buyer's premium was 20% (plus VAT), the total payable would be £37.20.

• VAT on the hammer price: You will often also pay 20% VAT on cases' hammer prices. This would push your price up to £43.20.

Here's what happened when MSE went to a lost luggage auction

It's fair to say we got more than we bargained for, but check out the video to see how our bidding went and how much we reckon our haul would be worth. 

How can I best bag a bargain? 

Most auction houses let you inspect the contents or give descriptions. Go to the advance viewing, usually a day before bidding starts.

Even if you can't rifle through the cases, you should be able to inspect the outside. Note suitcases' make and models, then benchmark the case’s value on eBay – brands to watch out for include Samsonite, Tumi, Away and Rimowa.

Don’t get blinded by bidding fever – set a maximum and don’t be pushed past it. You’ll sometimes need to pay a refundable deposit to bid. 

Remember, if you get something you don't want, you can always flog it online – see our Ebay Selling Tips and Facebook Selling Tips for help.

I've got the bug. Any other second-hand buying tricks? When it comes to eBay, many just bid. To home in on the uber-deals, try our 40+ Ebay Buying Secrets guide.

If you fancy buying some stolen goods on the cheap, check out our Police Auctions guide, which explains how to do it (and it's all entirely legal).

Help! The airline lost MY luggage – what should I do?

Before you leave the baggage reclaim, go to the luggage or airline counter and fill in a 'property irregularity' report, keeping a copy for yourself. You can claim without one, but it will be easier with it. 

You then need to put in a claim with the airline within seven days – check with your airline for how to claim. If they don’t find it within 21 days, it’s officially lost. 

How much compensation could I get? 

There are no rules that set the amount – the maximum will be about £1,000, though it's very rare to get this much. You are likely to get more by going via your travel insurer, so check your policy. See the Travel Insurance guide.