A WOMAN has revealed that she bought somebody’s lost luggage and was thrilled to find a collectable toy inside.
Hope, a self-proclaimed ‘treasure hunter’ and ‘professional shopper’ from the US, explained that she managed to get her hands on the iconic Disney toy and there’s only 2,500 of them ever made.
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Not only this, but it’s worth thousands of pounds too – yes, you heard that correctly.
Posting on social media, the influencer, who has with 957,400 followers and 28.8million likes on TikTok, shared her clip with the caption ‘I found the most ADORABLE thing from the lost luggage store.
She then explained that you can buy strangers’ lost luggage from a place called The Unclaimed Baggage Store.
She revealed that whilst they normally sell clothes and iPhones, every once in a while they have something “really special.”
Hope then held up a large grey box, containing a life size R. John Wright Winnie the Pooh collectable bear.
Still in its original box and with all of the original packaging, Hope continued: “I found this on the website and I had to get it – it’s from 1988, an original still in the box, Winnie the Pooh.
“I loved Winnie the Pooh when I was younger and I couldn’t pass this guy up.”
The pink-haired beauty then took the bear out of the box and beamed: “Oh my gosh, he’s so cute.”
Thrilled with her find, the content creator added: “There was only 2,500 of them ever made.”
She then confessed: “I’m sorry for whoever lost him, but I will love him.”
Whilst these bears are collectable items, a quick eBay search shows the bears being sold from £457.29, all the way to £1,921.
The TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @hopescope, has clearly impressed many, as it has quickly amassed a jaw-dropping 908,100 views.
This is so cool!
TikTok user
Social media users were gobsmacked at Hope’s find and many flocked to the comments to express this.
One person said: “OMG!! I love Winnie the Pooh and that is adorable! That deserves to be loved and kept safe.”
How to buy lost luggage
THE famous US store which sells off unclaimed baggage has launched an online shop – so you can buy more travellers’ lost items.
The Unclaimed Baggage Center, located in Alabama, has long been a destination for treasure hunters wanting to find a bargain from the abandoned suitcases.
Located in the tiny town of Scottsboro, which has a population of 14,000, it is an unlikely tourist hotspot.
Inside is a megastore of misplaced possessions taken from tens of thousands of suitcases, rucksacks and duffel bags, all lost on commercial flights across the US.
Now, you don’t have to travel to the US and can do your shopping online with their new online store.
The centre has launched the online shopping experience as part of their 50th anniversary, having opened in 1970.
Everything from clothing to electronics are found on the website – current items for sale include high-street dresses from $8 up to 18K bracelets worth over $13,000.
They also have a weird and wonderful section which ranges from gold necklaces and diving equipment to designer gowns and signed memorabilia.
Legally, airlines have a duty to reunite luggage with their owners within 90 days, but if that fails, bags end up at the centre.
So frequent are these deliveries that the Unclaimed Baggage Center has around one million items on sale at any time, with 7,000 new items added to the shop floor every day.
Not everything that is found is sold – a third is binned, including all underwear, while another third of it is donated to charity.
Brenda Cantrell, the store’s brand ambassador, says: “Less than half a per cent of all lost luggage fails to make it back to its owners, but that’s still thousands of bags every year.
“And the vast majority of those make their way here. We have exclusive contracts with all the major US carriers, making us the only store of this kind anywhere in the country.”
According to journalist Jonathon Thompson who went there himself, the 40,000sqft centre is “more like a swanky department store than a musty charity shop,” adding that items are separated into sections, which includes electronics, jewellery and even wedding clothes.
Customers have also found bargains while shopping there – one person bought a £65 vase, only to find out later it was worth £15,000, while one piece of art valued at £45 was actually worth £20,000.
Another added: “I WOULD CRY MY EYES OUT. I LOVE WINNIE THE POOH.”
A third commented: “I need him!”
Whilst someone else posted: “Not what I was expecting but I love it!!”
Meanwhile, one woman wrote: “OH MY GOODNESS. I am a huge collector. If you ever want to sell or get rid of it, please let me know.”
At the same time, another user beamed: “This is so cool!”
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