Pittsburgh International Airport auction returns with vehicles, jewelry, electronics and python snakeskin boots up for grabs
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Forgotten items from the Pittsburgh International Airport's lost and found, including several cars and even a snazzy pair of python snakeskin boots, will hit the auction block this weekend.
The airport auction returns for its 12th year on Saturday, Oct. 7. Doors open at 8:30 a.m.
Bargain hunters can find cars, over 200 pieces of jewelry and 150 electronic devices like AirPods, gaming consoles and laptops. Highlights include python snakeskin boots (size 11), pool cues, board games, a flute, fishing gear and horse whips.
More than 20 vehicles will also be up for auction. Some are old Allegheny County Airport Authority vehicles and others are vehicles that passengers left behind. The airport said they're often the most popular target for deal hunters.
Watch: Katie O'Malley has a preview on PTL
It begs the question: Who leaves their car at the airport and doesn't come back for it?
The airport said there isn't really a good answer.
Vehicles that sit in the airport's parking lot for more than 45 days are towed to a storage lot. PennDOT is notified and the government tries to track down the owners, but it doesn't always work out.
The airport said sometimes an owner will tell them to keep the vehicle because they can't or won't pay the cost of getting it back. And sometimes the government can't get in contact with anyone. In those cases, the state will legally declare the vehicle abandoned, and then the Allegheny County Airport Authority can sell it at auction.
A few weeks before the auction, the airport said team members and volunteers gather for the "Big Sort" where they search through boxes and boxes filled with lost items. They've found some strange things you wouldn't expect someone to travel with, let alone forget at the airport, like rice cookers, an alligator head and a toilet seat.
The auction starts at 10 a.m. at the Heavy Equipment Building on Cargo Road on the airport's airfield, near the intersection of University Boulevard and Business 376 in Moon Township. Bidding will be in-person only, though people can get a sneak peek online.