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Pittsburgh International · The annual auction

The PIT unclaimed baggage auction.

Every year, thousands of items left at Pittsburgh International go up for bid, along with abandoned cars and retired airport equipment. Here is when it happens, how to bid and what it really costs.

When is the next one?How to bid

Photo: Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Short answer

Pittsburgh International holds an annual auction of unclaimed lost-and-found items, abandoned vehicles and used airport equipment. The 2026 auction was online only and closed Sept. 8, 2026. As of October 19, 2026, the 2027 date has not been announced. Recent auctions have run through Joe R. Pyle Auctions with a 15% buyer's premium.

Verified

The auction, by the numbers

30days the airport holds lost items before they can be donated or auctioned.
19abandoned vehicles in the 2026 auction.
15%buyer's premium in 2025 and 2026.
$127Kraised after expenses in 2021, including more than $75,000 for charity.

Interactive

When is the next one?

The date box updates automatically once the next auction is set. Then price your bid with the buyer's premium.

When is the next PIT auction?

Next auction

2027: not yet announced

As of October 19, 2026, the airport has not announced a 2027 date. The 2026 auction closed on Sept. 8, 2026.

Recent auctions have been announced between late August and late October, and have closed between early September and late October.

August2026: announced Aug. 31
2022: announced Aug. 29
September2026: closed Sept. 8
2020: online, vehicles only
October2025: closed Oct. 27
2023: Oct. 7
2022: Oct. 22
2021: Oct. 23
2019: Oct. 19
NovemberNo auctions in the years we found
What will I actually pay?

Winning bid $100 + 15% buyer's premium $15 = $115

The 15% buyer's premium applied in 2025 and 2026. Taxes and fees are set in each year's auction terms, so the rate is yours to enter.

Checked October 19, 2026 against the airport's own site. Dates from the airport's Blue Sky News archive. PGH Nonstop is independent and is not the airport.

Step by step

How to bid

  1. Watch for the announcement. The airport posts details on its Blue Sky News site and social channels, and the auction appears on Joe R. Pyle Auctions' site.
  2. Register. You must be at least 18 to register and bid.
  3. Preview. In 2026, lost-and-found items could be seen on Sept. 7 at the Joe R. Pyle warehouse in Washington, PA, and airport equipment at the Heavy Equipment Building on Cargo Road.
  4. Bid before the soft close. In 2025, lots closed a few minutes apart, and any bid in the last 60 seconds added 60 seconds to that lot.
  5. Pay in full. Winning bid plus the 15% buyer's premium and any taxes and fees, before pickup. All sales final.
  6. Pick up. Vehicles must be towed unless bought by a dealer with plates. Shipping can be arranged through a third party at the buyer's cost.

History

Every auction we could find

YearDateFormat and notes
2019Sat., Oct. 19In person at the Heavy Equipment Building on Cargo Road, plus online bidding (source)
2020SeptemberOnline only and vehicles only, because of COVID-19 (source)
2021Sat., Oct. 23Back in person; raised more than $127,000 after expenses, including more than $75,000 for charity (source)
2022Sat., Oct. 22In person; 11 abandoned vehicles among the lots (source)
2023Sat., Oct. 7In person, the 12th annual auction; bidding in person only (source)
2024Not foundWe could not find a 2024 date in the airport's news archive
2025Closed Mon., Oct. 27Online only through Joe R. Pyle Auctions; pickup Oct. 29 in Washington, PA (source)
2026Closed Tue., Sept. 8, 6 p.m.Online only; public preview Sept. 7; 19 abandoned vehicles (source)

From the airport's Blue Sky News archive. The airport called 2023 the auction's 12th year.

Inventory

Where the stuff comes from

Lost and found

Items left in common areas, at the checkpoint, in baggage claim and in parking. After 30 days unclaimed they become airport property and are donated or auctioned.

Abandoned cars

Vehicles left in airport lots. The airport can collect unpaid parking from a sale; any remainder goes to the state.

Retired equipment

Mowers, plows, trucks and other airport gear at the end of its useful life. Those proceeds go back to the airport.

Clothing and eyeglasses are donated rather than sold. In July 2026 the airport gave 60 pieces of medical equipment to Global Links and 57 boxes of clothing to Circles of Pittsburgh.

Downtown Pittsburgh's skyline across the river on a clear day, with the UPMC sign atop the U.S. Steel Tower at center

Lost something?

Report it first, for free.

The airport's Lost and Found report costs nothing and sends status updates. It warns about third-party sites that charge a fee. Items left on the plane go to your airline.

Airport Lost and Found

Photo: Pexels

Questions

When is the Pittsburgh airport auction in 2026?
It already happened. The 2026 auction was online only, and bidding closed on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, at 6 p.m., with a public preview on Sept. 7.
When is the next Pittsburgh airport auction?
As of October 19, 2026, the 2027 date has not been announced. Recent auctions closed between early September and late October, and the airport announces them on its Blue Sky News site.
Is the Pittsburgh airport auction online?
Yes, recently. The 2025 and 2026 auctions were online only through Joe R. Pyle Auctions. Earlier years (2019, 2021 to 2023) were held in person at the airport.
What is sold at the Pittsburgh airport auction?
Lost-and-found items that went unclaimed, such as jewelry, watches, electronics, luggage, strollers and sporting goods, plus abandoned vehicles and retired airport equipment. In 2026 the lots included 19 abandoned vehicles.
Is there a buyer's premium?
Yes. A 15% buyer's premium applied in 2025 and 2026, and payment, including taxes and fees, was due in full before pickup. Bidders must be at least 18.
Where does the auction money go?
Proceeds from lost-and-found items go to charity, and proceeds from used airport equipment go back to the airport, according to the airport.
I lost something at PIT. Will it be auctioned?
Items are held for 30 days. File a free report with the airport's Lost and Found right away. The airport warns about third-party websites that charge a fee to retrieve lost items.

More of the PIT guide

Sources

  1. Blue Sky News: PIT's Annual Auction Maximizes Value, Aug. 31, 2026 (2026 dates, premium, vehicles)
  2. Blue Sky News: PIT Donates Lost and Found Items Ahead of Annual Auction, July 6, 2026
  3. Blue Sky News: ACAA's Annual Auction Returns, Oct. 20, 2025 (2025 dates, soft close)
  4. Blue Sky News: Find a New Set of Wheels at Airport Auction, Oct. 2, 2023
  5. Blue Sky News: Pittsburgh Airport Auction Returns for Year 12, Sept. 11, 2023
  6. Blue Sky News: 8,000 Items Hit Auction Block, Oct. 10, 2022
  7. Blue Sky News: Going Once, Going Twice: Airport Auction Set for October, Aug. 29, 2022 (vehicles, proceeds)
  8. Blue Sky News: How Much for That Airport Fire Truck?, Nov. 22, 2021
  9. Blue Sky News: 17 Cars Up for Bid as Airport Auction Goes Virtual, Sept. 21, 2020
  10. Blue Sky News: Annual Airport Auction, Sept. 30, 2019
  11. Joe R. Pyle Auctions: 2026 PIT auction listing and rules
  12. Pittsburgh International Airport: Lost and Found