Want a car, a Kindle or a wedding ring? Then consider the Pittsburgh International Airport auction

MOON TWP. — Bargain hunters will head to Pittsburgh International Airport on Oct. 22 for a one-of-a-kind auction.

Up for grabs are cars, trucks and strollers. Backpacks, laptops and Kindles. Wedding rings, hats and umbrellas galore.

From a pricey-looking mandolin in its case, to a 30-pound dumbbell, to a snowboarding or skateboarding helmet with two attached GoPro cameras, there's plenty to catch the eye at the Allegheny County Airport Authority’s annual auction of items left behind at the airport.

Approximately 8,000 objects will be sold to the highest bidders, including 300 electronics items and 350 pieces of jewelry, during the auction at the airport's Heavy Equipment Building on Cargo Road, a few hundred feet west of University Boulevard, off Business Route 376.

Bidding begins at 10 a.m., doors open at 8:30 a.m., "and people will line up here before dawn," Matt Neistein, public affairs manager for the Allegheny County Airport Authority, said. "I'm not kidding. They're peering in the windows of the garage, trying to get an extra edge."

Seasoned auctioneer Joe R. Pyle will lead the proceedings.

"It runs just like an auction," Neistein said. 'I have this item right here, do I have $10, do I have $15?' They also have online bidders. So there's staff on the dais with him. They'll perk up and say 'Well, there's an online bid for x number of dollars,' so it all gets merged together."

Register to bid online at joerpyleauctions.com.

Food trucks Divine Swine and The Kabob Mob will be there, satisfying breakfast and lunch pangs of hunger.

The hangar-sized Heavy Equipment Building will showcase a row of 10 cars, and a row of a dozen retired airport authority trucks, all to be auctioned off as-is.

There's no Cadillac Escalade, as was the case a couple of years ago when ex-Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Artie Burns decided a return trip to Pittsburgh wasn't worth the trouble of reclaiming that particular luxury vehicle.

Though a 2019 Hyundai sedan and a lime-sherbet-hued Chevy Cavalier, will go to the highest bidders.

Airport officials only can theorize why anyone would leave behind an unclaimed car.

"Your guesses are as good as mine," Neistein said. "One of the prevailing ones is ― with all due respect ― none of these are really nice, new, expensive cars. So, ― and I'm just throwing a number out here ― if the market says your car is worth $1,000, and you leave it here and your trip takes longer than you expected and we say, 'Well, you owe us $1,500 in parking fees,' it's not really worth it, right?"

Or maybe people travel to other places and decide not to come back to Pittsburgh.

"Maybe you fly to Myrtle Beach and enjoy it so much and you decide to stay," Neistein said.

Still, a $1,000 car might be perfect for a family looking to buy a low-cost vehicle for their college-bound kid.

Vehicles sitting unclaimed for 45 days in the airport's lots are considered abandoned, then towed and stored on airport property.

"After that, our airport staff tries to get in touch with the owner," Neistein said.

If those attempts fail, the matter is turned over to the vehicle's leasing agency and the state's Department of Motor Vehicles, which try to contact the owner, a process taking more months. If an owner ultimately isn't reached, the state officially declares the vehicle abandoned and removes any purchase liens. That ensures whoever buys the car isn't responsible for any outstanding purchasing fees.

"So, when these cars are auctioned off, we deduct storage and parking fees, and the remainder of the money goes to the state."

Carry-on items left on airplanes and inside the terminal get turned into the lost and found after 30 days and recorded in a digital database indicating when and where each was found.

"So, if you came back to me and say, 'I left my wedding room in this bathroom near Gate 27 on Saturday' we can see if anyone found that ring," Neistein said. "Basically, if you can describe it, it's yours."

For something like a wallet, with a person's ID inside, airport workers try to directly contact the owner immediately. Cellphones aren't easy, because a keylock password usually is needed.

Keys, jewelry and laptops are three of the most commonly lost objects. A lot of belts, too, when people remove them at the TSA line's metal detector and then forget them in the rush to their gate.

Forgotten sunglasses, books, hats and umbrellas are foregone conclusions in these hurried days with brief layover times.

Though there are always surprises, like several years ago when someone lost a prosthetic eye. Somebody else bought it.

Unusual items this year include a crock pot, a home security surveillance system still in its box, flippers and goggles, golf clubs, fishing equipment and a Yamaha flute.

"Wedding rings is the one that's always baffled me," Neistein said. "Every year we've got wedding rings. I suppose some people take them off before they wash their hands in the bathroom and they were rushed, and they forget it. I assume all these people are doing it by accident, not because they're up to shenanigans. But yeah, it's your wedding ring from the most important day of your life and now it's gone. And we really wish people would go back for that stuff, right?"

Clothes and eyeglasses don't go to the auction.

The airport authority gives away most unclaimed clothing to Circles of Greater Pittsburgh, which helps people living in poverty. The Pittsburgh chapter of the Lions Club receives unclaimed prescription eyeglasses that are recycled for use by individuals in need.

For successful auction bidders, there will be a 15 percent buyer’s premium with 5 percent waived for cash or check purchases. Cash, checks and credit cards will be accepted. Payment, inclusive of any taxes and fees, must be made in full at the auction.

"It goes until everything is gone," Neistein said. "I don't think we've ever had anything leftover."

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Proceeds from the 11th annual auction will go to the Allegheny County Airport Authority's Charitable Foundation, which supports aviation scholarships, workforce development and the Art in The Airport program.

More details on the auction are in the airport's blueskypit.com newsletter.

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"It's a unique event and the energy is really positive. We have a couple of food trucks parked next to it in a garage bay, and there's music playing and it's just a fun vibe," Neistein said. "Hopefully people find whatever they're looking for, whether they want it, they need it, or it's a gift.

"We've had teachers come through here to buy supplies for classrooms because they know they can get them cheap. Charging stuff or Kindles or iPads for educational purposes. Family-owned small businesses come in and buy one of these trucks because they can fix it up and it's cheaper than buying off the lot from a dealer."

Scott Tady is entertainment editor at The Times and easy to reach at stady@timesonline.com.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Pittsburgh airport auction puts cars, jewelry and more up for grabs