How To Buy Unclaimed Mail (It's Easier Than You Think)

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A while back, I was deep in a YouTube rabbit hole watching someone open a box of “unclaimed USPS mail” they bought online. The video had millions of views. The thumbnail promised iPhones, jewelry, and bundles of cash. The actual box? Half a Bluetooth speaker, three mismatched socks, and something that looked suspiciously like a used bath mat.

Naturally, I had to find out: Can you really buy unclaimed mail? And is it actually worth it for resellers?

Let’s break it all down—what’s legit, what’s a scam, and what you’ll actually get if you roll the dice.

Can You Really Buy Unclaimed Mail?

Yes—but not directly from USPS, and probably not the way you’re thinking.

When mail is undeliverable and can’t be returned to the sender, it technically becomes “unclaimed.” The USPS doesn’t run warehouse sales of this stuff, though. Instead, it gets funneled through contracts to companies like GovDeals or Liquidation.com, who resell it by the pallet or crate—often bundled with undeliverable packages from FedEx, UPS, and retailers like Amazon.

In other words: if you’re imagining a warehouse full of crisp envelopes addressed to mysterious people across the country… sorry. What you’re actually buying is closer to a “returns and junk drawer mystery box” than some secret stash of diamonds.

Finding Lost and Unclaimed Mail For Sale

Most carriers do their best to return packages and lost mail to the sender. However, there are several instances where this isn’t possible. When you are looking to buy lost mail, you’re buying packages that:

• Had the label damaged in transit, rendering both the delivery and return address unreadable
• Were refused by both the buyer and (when returned) the seller
• Undeliverable items that were shipped without a return address
• Items that were considered damaged extensively enough that they are not delivered

It’s worth noting that no carrier, particularly USPS, makes much of an effort to deliver packages if it’s outside of the norm. For example, we’ve opened several “lost packages” and found an invoice inside with the name/address of both the sender and buyer. If it’s not easy, it doesn’t happen.

Where Do People Actually Buy “Unclaimed Mail”?

Here are the most common sources:

Source	What You’re Actually Buying	Notes
Liquidation.com	Bulk lots of returns, lost freight, shelf pulls	Mostly business-to-business; you’ll need a reseller permit
GovDeals	Government surplus, lost & found, sometimes mail	Hit or miss; auctions vary by location
888Lots	Shelf pulls and returns, often listed as “mystery boxes”	Some boxes marketed as unclaimed packages
Swap Meets / Flea Markets	Occasionally repackaged as “USPS mail mystery boxes”	Almost always a gimmick
TikTok Shops / Random Websites	Labeled “lost mail,” “unclaimed packages,” etc.	99% of the time: overpriced garbage or total scam

What You’ll Actually Get (Hint: Not an iPhone)

There’s no way around it: most unclaimed mail lots are filled with the stuff no one else wanted. Think:

• Broken gadgets
• Dollar store trinkets
• Returned clothing with damage or missing tags
• Expired beauty products
• USB cables. So many USB cables.

It’s kind of like buying a storage unit with no photos and hoping there’s a Rolex inside. Could it happen? Technically. Will it happen? Nope.

I’ve never bought a pallet of “unclaimed mail” myself—but I’ve bought enough liquidation boxes, storage units, and “junk mystery lots” to know what kind of gamble you’re in for. If I’m buying a box blind, I assume it’s worth about 25% of what I’m paying. Maybe 40% if I’m lucky. Most of the value is in the fun (or the video views if you’re filming it).

Some Other Options

Mystery Boxes

If you’re not looking to profit off your finds and you’re mainly looking for some fun, buying mystery boxes can be another way to get your kicks and giggles. While you probably aren’t going to find anything insanely valuable in a myster box, you aren’t going to lose your entire investment either.

These are a few that we’ve bought and enjoyed:

BlueBox: Not only does Goodwill sell on eBay, but they have their own mystery box service where you can get surprise boxes of clothes, jeans, shoes, watches, jewelry, stuffed animals, and more. We bought 3 mystery boxes from them and were quite happy with the result. Check out our Goodwill BlueBox Experience here!

eBay, Poshmark, and Etsy: Many online sellers put together mystery boxes of some variety which you can pick up to get a good deal on some surprise items. Just be aware that many people use this as a method to get money out of things that should really be thrown away or donated so be careful!

THREDUP: THREDUP offers a Rescue Box which included items that either need little bit of TLC or that they’ve been unable to sell for awhile. This can be a super fun experience and, if you get lucky, a gold mine!

TSA & Security Confiscations

If you’ve ever been at an airport and wondered what in the world people could be dragging around in their luggage, you could find out! There are opportunties to buy lost and unclaimed luggage from many airports as well as items that have been confiscated by securities in many different building and industries.

The best way to find auctions for lost mail or luggage near you is to simply call and ask when and where they auction items.

Should I Have Ethical or Legal Concerns About Buying Unclaimed Mail?

Long story short, no.

As resellers who source most of our inventory at thrift stores we are used to being maligned by people who think we’re vultures. While we typically don’t parade the fact that we buy lots of mail, there are naysayers who think that what we do is borderline stealing.

Let me explain what happens with unclaimed mail and why it’s totally fine for you to buy it from the carrier or business and do as you wish with it:

Let’s say you buy a package from ABC Toys. They send you item but the package label gets damaged and it disappears in transit. When it doesn’t show up, you contact ABC Toys and they issue a refund or send a replacement. They then pursue a refund from the carrier (up to the insured amount). The carrier then auctions off the package to recoup some of the cost they paid to ABC Toys. Without the ability to sell the package (and if you didn’t buy it) the carrier would be totally out the money.

So buying lost mail is helpful!

Buying Lost or Returned Amazon Packages

Mystery boxes are one thing, but have you ever tried a mystery pallet?

Beyond buying unclaimed mail you can start looking at options like buying lost or returned amazon packages, often by the pallet or in other bulk situations.

There are several liquidation sites that allow you to bid of boxes, pallets, or truckloads of lost or returned items. However, this is an area where you have to be really careful.

You typically cannot buy returned packaged directly from Amazon so you’re buying from middlemen who often have already opened and curated what you’ll be buying.

Because of this you’ll want to thoroughly vet any place that you plan on buying from.

We have bought thousands of items from Liquidation.com, BULQ, and BSTOCK and can recommend all three if you’re looking for an adventure! Just don’t spend your rent money.

Conclusion

At the ending of the day, buying unclaimed mail is as easy as bidding on an auction and handing over your money. However, if you’re hoping to find some awesome items or make a profit by flipping the items on eBay you might be in for a hard time!

We’ve bought lost and returned pallets many time and, believe me, it’s not quite the rosy situation you’ve seen on social media. As long as you don’t expect anything but an adventure and some surprises you’ll be in good shape!

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