The Unclaimed Baggage Store opened in January 1972 at 228 Second Street by Max and Ruth Pemberton. The store moved to 223 Second Street in June 1972.
The store moved again in June 1973 to 318 Second Street, the former Kockritz Store. Walter Kockritz also worked with the Pembertons in their store.
The store, just like the name indicates, sells the contents of baggage left unclaimed at airports and bus stations. This baggage is put up for auction by the air lines and bus companies if the owners cannot be located.

Unique Store Opens in Henderson
You can find just about anything at the Unclaimed Baggage Store in Henderson, and owners Mr. and Mrs.
Max Pemberton are the first to agree that the selection is vast and varied. The Pembertons started their unqiue business about two months ago after learning from a fellow ham radio operator in Alabama about his success in this type of business. Pemberton thinks there are only about a dozen stores of this kind in the country. The store, just like the name indicates, sells the contents of unclaimed baggage. Unclaimed baggage from airlines and bus firms are purchased and the contents is put up for sale. The bidders do not know what is in the baggage they are bidding on.
Every month the unclaimed baggage warehouses for bus lines and airlines mail out lists of the unclaimed baggage they have for sale.
“These warehouses have to keep the baggage for around 6 months and try diligently to find the owners before they are allowed to sell it,” Pem-berton says.
Secret bids are made and sent to the warehouse and the highest bidder is notified to pick up the baggage.
“We just bid on the luggage, suitcases, footlockers,
train and cosmetics cases and express packages,” Pemberton says. About 60-70 per cent of the contents of the packages is clothes, however, the Pembertons have found some unusual things, too, including three fur coats, a mink collar piece, a car bumper, a partially finished men’s jacket, scuba diving equipment, ski gloves, and a golf ball with T. B. Standard’s initials on it. “We’ve found some dandy’s,” claims Pemberton.
“Some of the items we can’t even identify,” he says.
The Pemberton’s decide on the sale price of the items by starting from the going price of that item if it was new. If it is new, they mark it down about a third and if the items are used, they price them according to a graduation method. Pemberton says TV’s, cameras, clocks and luggage are the biggest sellers. There is no limit how far they will go to get the unclaimed baggage. “We mostly bid in Cleveland, New York, Washington, D. C. and in several southern cities,” Pemberton says.
This interesting shop is located at 228 2nd street in Henderson and is open from 8 to 4 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday and from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday.
You’ve got to see it to believe it. You’ll agree that the Pembertons have come upon some “dandys.”













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References:
Evansville Courier and Press April 1, 1972
Evansville Courier and Press June 24, 1972
Evansville Courier and Press July 29, 1972
Evansville Courier and Press June 3, 1973
Evansville Courier and Press June 23, 1973
Evansville Courier and Press September 1, 1973
Evansville Courier and Press November 3, 1973
Evansville Courier and Press June 22, 1974
Evansville Courier and Press November 30, 1974