The annual SYD Lost Property Auction has returned for 2026 with more than 2,300 unclaimed items left behind at Sydney Airport now available to bid on online.
Thousands of items left behind by passengers at Sydney Airport went under the hammer from 28 June in an online auction run by Theodore Bruce Auctioneers with opening bids starting at just $10.
The 2026 SYD Lost Property Auction catalogue spans five categories, with bidding closing on staggered dates until 8 July, and includes tech, jewellery, sunglasses and perfume, as well as one-off oddities such as ski boots, a fishing reel, boxing gloves and a Batman Lego set.
This year’s proceeds support Bayside Council’s Community Learn to Swim and Water Safety Program, with the airport aiming to raise $200,000, equating to more than 8,000 free swimming lessons for the local community.
What’s in the catalogue
The 2026 sale is heavy on high-value tech and accessories with around 120 laptops, 250 lots of earbuds, 100 lots of headphones, 40 cameras, 40 e-readers and five gaming consoles.
There are also 350 lots of jewellery and watches, 150 pairs of sunglasses, 628 lots of clothing, 100 bags, 60 bottles of alcohol and 40 lots of perfume.
The more unusual SYD Lost Property Auction lots include a guitar, a wedding dress, an air fryer, a rice cooker, a circular saw, three skateboards and a picnic basket.
The airport’s lost property team returned more than 6,000 items to their owners last year with unclaimed items donated to local charities or repurposed in the auction.
Checked baggage is managed by individual airlines and is not included in the auction, so travellers chasing lost baggage should contact their carrier directly.
Brisbane Airport’s most recent Lost Property Auction saw more than 800 lots go under the hammer, raising a record-breaking $160,000 for a variety of Queensland children’s charities.
Where the money goes
Since 2013, SYD Lost Property Auctions have raised almost $2.2 million for charities and community initiatives. Last year’s auction alone raised $253,142 for the airport’s water safety program.
The 2026 funds will help deliver free learn-to-swim lessons and water safety education to Bayside residents facing cost, access and participation barriers, rolled out across local venues including the Angelo Anestis Aquatic Centre, local beaches and the Arncliffe Youth Centre.
Bayside is home to around 182,000 residents, with almost half born overseas, and the program is designed to improve access across culturally diverse communities.
Sydney Airport Group Executive People & Corporate Affairs Kristen Sweeney said: “Cost-of-living pressures are placing real strain on families right now, and swimming lessons are one of the things that can easily fall out of the budget. Every dollar raised helps remove that barrier, giving local families access to free lessons and water safety education.”
KARRYON UNPACKS: The annual SYD Lost Property Auction is a reminder of how much travellers leave behind at the gate and a feel-good community story that travel advisors can also pass on to clients heading through Sydney Airport.
