Sydney Airport’s annual Lost Property Auction begins

Sydney Airport’s popular annual Lost Property Auction for charity has commenced, with more than 2,500 unclaimed items up for grabs.

All the money raised in the auction will be donated to the Harding Miller Education Foundation, which awards four-year scholarships to high school girls with high academic potential who are experiencing disadvantage.

The airport’s general manager of corporate affairs, Josh Clements, says: “Our lost property auction is one of our most important charity events and with A$1.6 million raised since 2013, it’s clear the public love nabbing a bargain in support of a worthy cause.

“There’s something for everyone with plenty of great tech, clothing, accessories and beauty products as well as a host of unique items like a massage table, an electric scooter, a leaf blower and a quintessential Aussie favourite, a jaffle maker.

“It’s great to see these unclaimed items find new homes while also supporting a charity that’s offering comprehensive scholarships to help level the playing field for high school girls facing disadvantage.”

Up for grabs in the latest auction are 150+ laptops, 300+ headphones & ear buds, 100 phones and tablets; more than 320 jewellery items; 200 watches, hundreds of pairs of sunglasses, and 120 bottles of wine.

Among the more unusual items are an electric scooter, a wedding dress, a leaf blower, a framed and autographed photo of Lionel Messi, and a Star Wars Storm Trooper voice activated helmet!

Theodore Bruce Auctioneers director, Casi Prischl, said: “The Sydney Airport Lost Property Auction is one of our most popular events with bidders from across the country getting involved.

“There are lots of hot items up for grabs this year, including laptops, headphones, tablets, bottles of brand-new perfume and some beautiful pieces of jewellery.

“May the force be with Star Wars fans bidding in the auction because we have a Storm Trooper voice activated helmet, a Darth Vader helmet as well as a collection of lightsabers available. Opening bids start at just A$10, which means shoppers have a chance to grab a great deal while also supporting an impactful charity.”

With millions of passengers passing through Sydney Airport every month, unfortunately things do get left behind, which is why there’s a dedicated team working hard to reunite lost property with travellers.

Last year, Sydney Airport reunited more than 5,000 lost items with passengers but what remains unclaimed gets donated to local charities or repurposed through the Lost Property Auction.

It’s important to note that lost checked bags are handled by airlines and are not included in the auctions. People searching for lost baggage should contact their airline directly.