Items and vehicles left behind by Pittsburgh International Airport travelers up for auction

A Washington County warehouse is holding items of just about every description, all part of the much-anticipated 2026 Pittsburgh International Airport auction.

The items vary, but they were all left behind by passengers. 

"There's an electric bicycle, a couple knock-off Rolexes, there's a rice cooker over there," Garrett Wilkerson with Joe R. Pyle Auctions said at a preview on Wednesday.

In the past, there have even been taxidermy animals left behind. 

"I did not see any stuffed bears this year, no, but a lot of stuffed animals, in fact, the T. rex you saw down there," airport spokesman Bob Kerlik said.

As one would expect, there are quite a few pieces of luggage, laptops, strollers, a bunch of sunglasses and a seemingly endless amount of jewelry, watches and bracelets. 

If you're looking for a car, this year's auction features nearly 20 vehicles. Some are fixer-uppers while others are pretty nice, like a late-model Mercedes-Benz convertible. 

If you're wondering how these cars end up abandoned, Kerlik says some owners seem to figure the vehicles aren't worth much, so they just leave them. Some owners go on vacation or move and figure they're never coming back, so why worry about it? Kerlik says some owners die while out of town, and their families just don't step up to claim the cars, vans and trucks.

The regular vehicles up for bid are located at the Joe R. Pyle Auction Warehouse at 1490 W. Chestnut St. in Washington.

The auction also includes some more heavy-duty equipment presently at the airport. Bob Kerlik says these units are used by the airport authority.

"Think of used loaders, airport authority vehicles, plows, things like that that have reached the end of their useful lives to the authority," Kerlik said. 

Officials say the auction usually draws some 2,000 to 3,000 registered bidders. For more information, go to Joe R. Pyle's website.