Pittsburgh International Airport to auction off abandoned items

People leave a lot of odd items at the Pittsburgh International Airport and the public will soon have an opportunity to bid on some of them.

The airport is hosting its annual auction in October and this year’s items up for bid include cars, jewelry, Marc Jacobs and Telfar bags, gaming consoles and even a pair of python-skin cowboy boots.

“In the past, we’ve found some strange belongings left behind, like a rice maker, (an) alligator head and a toilet seat,” said Elise Gomez, the Allegheny County Airport Authority’s manager of customer experience. “There is always something new to bid on.”

There are 10 cars up for auction this year, according to the airport authority. The vehicles were abandoned on airport property. In such cases, local police and state government officials try to contact the owners of abandoned vehicles over the course of at least 45 days and then decide when to put them up for auction.

This year’s haul also includes more than 200 pieces of jewelry and over 150 electronic devices including air pods, gaming consoles and laptops.

Airport staff said they were surprised this year to find a pair of size 16 bright blue sneakers and a pair of python-skin cowboy boots.

Not all found items are auctioned off. The authority said items such as prescription eyeglasses and some clothing are donated to local nonprofits.

Proceeds from the auction go to the airport authority’s charitable foundation, which supports aviation scholarships, workforce development and the airport’s Art in the Airport program. Last year’s auction raised more than $75,000.

Bidders will have a 15% buyer’s premium and 5% of that waived for cash or check purchases. Payment must be made in full at the auction, the authority said.

The auction will be held on Oct. 7 at the airport’s Heavy Equipment Building on Cargo Road. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. and auctioning starts at 10 a.m. Food trucks will be on hand.