Doyle Owens was selling insurance when a customer told him that Trailways was selling unclaimed baggage, site unseen. Doyle took $300 and bought every piece of luggage. Renting a house, Owens and his wife was shocked at the items they found in the bags and their value.
The Unclaimed Baggage Center is based on the same idea, only today the company has contracts with most of the airline companies. Bags are purchased at a flat rate. Employees of the company go through every item in every bag. Clothes are dry cleaned on site, other items are cleaned and appraisals are offered for more expensive items. The store has more than 40,000 square feet of space, but the company says it has no plans to sell items on line.
Unclaimed Baggage Center says it stocks at leas 7,000 new items every day. The company is still owned and operated by the Owens family with headquarters being located in Scottsboro, Alabama.
