Jewelry, Luggage & A Mobile Command Center: Pittsburgh International Airport To Auction Off Abandoned Items, Used Equipment & More
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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Need a laptop, an iPad, a cell phone, some jewelry, or even some luggage?
"Doors open at 8:30 a.m., 10 o'clock starts our annual Airport Authority auction where we auction off surplus goods, used goods, as well as items from lost and found," Airport Authority spokesperson Bob Kerlik told KDKA money editor Jon Delano on Friday.
That's right.
An assortment of items left at the airport, including TSA security checkpoints, are available to the highest bidder.
Also on the auction list -- furniture, rugs, and office equipment no longer used at the airport.
Among the higher priced items, something you would not think of in Lost & Found -- cars left behind at the airport's parking lot.
"We have more than a dozen cars this year that have been left in our lot, abandoned, and so those will be auctioned off this year," Kerlik said.
Why leave a car for months at the airport?
Through license plates, the airport reaches out to owners to find out.
"The short answer is that most of the time, we don't know. Most of the time we send out notices, and people just don't respond," Kerlik said.
When KDKA arrived to preview, a GMC Denali truck was on the auction block, probably sold for somewhere between $40,000 and $80,000, but it was off the auction list when KDKA left.
"Today at the last minute, a guy who had his car parked here since November [2017] came back and claimed it and paid the back fees," Kerlik said.
Some $7,000 in parking and storage fees had to be paid, but reclaiming is rare.
Also to be auctioned -- an old airport fire truck, lift trucks, heavy vehicles, and even a mobile command center.
The airport command center vehicle is now being taken out of service. but it does have some history.
It was the command center at that tragic US Airways Flight 427 crash in Hopewell back in September of 1994.
Whatever motivates you to buy, you can do it online or in person this Saturday.
You can visit flypittsburgh.com/programs-services/programs/public-auction for more information.
