Airport auction: Pittsburgh International's left-behind items up for sale to the highest bidder
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Who doesn't love a good deal? It could even be on an item you didn't know you wanted in the first place.
A lot of that will be going on at the annual Allegheny County Airport Authority Auction at 10 a.m. on Saturday morning.
Almost all of what is up for sale are items that were left behind at the airport, starting with vehicles.
Vehicles are the big stars ever year, often abandoned at the airport. Some are in good shape. Some are not. All of these vehicles are made available only after the airport and Allegheny County Police try and find the owner.
"PennDOT reaches out to them, and then if there's still no response, then it's comes back to us and we're allowed to auction them off," said Bob Kerlik, Vice President of Media Relations for the Allegheny County Airport Authority.
Sometimes the owner is found.
"One of these vehicles this year, the lady responded and said she didn't want the vehicle and she mailed us the keys and said it could be auctioned," Kerlik.
Kerlik says there is only one thing guaranteed.
"All of them have keys. Not all of them may start. You may have to tow them out of here," Kerlik said.
The Airport Authority will also be auctioning off its own items and vehicles that are either no longer used or that are damaged. This includes pickup trucks and golf carts, and even office furniture.
If the items were purchased with Authority money, the proceeds will go the Airport Authority's operating budget. If the items come from abandoned property or the lost and found, the proceeds will go to the Airport Foundation for more charitable purposes.
With more than 8,000 items up for sale, everything your mind can imagine and then some will be available for purchase.
Some of the things listed are even perplexing.
When things get left behind at the airport, it gets stored for the year and then auctioned off at the end of the year.
The more than 8,000 items available include things like:
- Shoes
- Sweatshirts
- Canes, crutches, and walkers
- Jewelry
- Waterbottles
- Power tools
- Electronics, like iPads
- Strollers
- Musical instruments
Items will be able to be bought with cash, check, or credit card at the auction.
For a list of the vehicles up for sale at the auction, click here.
