Key Points
- More than 3,000 items are being auctioned online.
- The auction was not held last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Proceeds will go to the Bayside Women's Shelter in Sydney.
A hedge trimmer, a circular saw and a sun lounge are among the more unusual items up for sale at Sydney Airport's revived lost property auction over the next week.
A frequent flyer's loss will be a bargain hunter's gain when the online auction for charity returns after a two-year break because of COVID-19.
Starting on Sunday, the auction features more than 3,000 unclaimed items including 120 laptops, more than 20 phones and tablets, dozens of headphones, 16 cameras, sunglasses, handbags, jewellery, wine, perfume and an air fryer.
A statement from the airport said it has a dedicated team working hard to reunite lost property with travellers.
"In the last year more than 4,000 items have been returned to passengers but what remains unclaimed gets donated to local charities or repurposed in Sydney Airport's Lost Property Auction," the statement read.
Airport CEO Geoff Culbert said there was "a treasure trove" of goods to pick from.
"We even got some rather unique sales like a hedge trimmer, circular saw and sun lounge, although we're still scratching our heads wondering how that ended up at the airport," he said.
"For music lovers, there is a classical violin or for those who just like to listen, there are more than a dozen Bluetooth speakers as well as a record player and 50th anniversary edition of Abbey Road on vinyl."
The auction runs until 12 February, with bids starting at $5.
According to Sydney Airport, its lost property auctions have raised more than $1.4 million for charity since 2013.
This year proceeds will go to the Bayside Women's Shelter in Sydney.
The shelter's general manager Sallianne Faulkner said the money would be used to create a new social enterprise hub, to assist in breaking the cycle of domestic and family violence.
"Sydney Airport's ongoing support will allow us to open a community hub including a cafe, which will provide women with skills development, training and paid work to help set them up for the future," she said.
