I've heard of a store in Alabama where you can buy clothing and other items taken from lost airline baggage. The business you're referring to is called the Unclaimed Baggage Center, located in Scottsboro, Ala., about 50 miles southwest of Chattanooga, Tenn., and about 140 miles northwest of Atlanta. But that tiny percentage still amounts to a large number of bags, tens of thousands by some estimates. When the airlines make cash settlements over baggage that has truly been lost in the system, or when baggage is simply never claimed, it can end up in Alabama. The Unclaimed Baggage Center buys luggage from a number of major airlines and sells its contents to the public, often at a deep discount from its true value.
Designer clothing can go cheap and good deals abound.
The store has everything you'd find in the belly of an airplane, from ball gowns and flashy jewelry to ball caps and surfboards. Visitors to its Web site can add their names to a notification list for certain types of merchandise. A brochure is available upon request. Hours are Monday-Friday 9 a.m to 6 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. It's closed on Sunday.