The Madrid City Council has announced the auction of more than 5,600 items from its Lost Property Office, which includes a variety of unclaimed goods such as jewelry, watches, luxury items, technology, and collectibles. The auction will take place until October 13, 2026, and will be managed by Hermes Capital Europa through the website www.viasubasta.com.
Items available for purchase have been held in the Lost Property Office for over two years without being claimed by their owners. Following the appropriate legal procedures, these items have been made available for municipal sale through auction.
Details of the Auction
The auction features a diverse selection of items, including:
- Luxury goods from international brands
- High-end watches
- Jewelry from renowned brands
- Gaming consoles
- Art and collectibles
- Antiques and decorative pieces
Among the standout items is a Louis Vuitton suitcase valued at €1,300, as well as handbags from brands like Celine and Gucci. A unique golden crown adorned with green and white stones is also up for bid. In the watch category, a Piaget Altiplano in rose gold, valued at over €5,100, is featured alongside various MoonSwatch models from the Omega x Swatch collaboration.
Technology and Gaming
The auction also includes various technological devices. Video game enthusiasts can find special editions of the Nintendo Switch, including a Fortnite Wildcat edition and one inspired by The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, as well as a PSP Street with 13 games. Other tech items include drones, tablets, and mobile phones, many of which are unused and in their original packaging.
Photography lovers will find both analog and digital cameras from various eras, including a Nikkormat FT with a Nikkor-S Auto 50 mm f/1.4 lens and a Canon 814 XL Super 8 video camera.
Unique Collectibles
A major draw of the auction is the presence of unique and hard-to-find items. Highlights include an original 1977 Star Wars poster valued at €1,200, a limited-edition Superplastic collectible figure, and a Hermès Baby typewriter. Particularly noteworthy is a fragment of a window from the RMS Olympic, the Titanic's sister ship, which comes with a certificate and handwritten letter, making it one of the collection's most historically valuable pieces.
The auction also features vinyl records, luxury fountain pens from brands like Montblanc, musical instruments, philatelic materials, vintage golf clubs, and various artistic and decorative works, including engravings, porcelain, ornamental amphorae, and Oriental-inspired furniture.
A Second Life for Unclaimed Items
The valuation, cleaning, cataloging, and photography of the items, as well as the organization of the auction, are handled by Hermes Capital Europa. Interested bidders can view detailed information and photographs of each item on the auction platform, and they can also examine the items in person on October 5, 6, and 7 at the Hermes Capital Europa premises located at Calle de Nieremberg, 7, from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
In 2025, the Lost Property Office received over 78,000 items. After two years without claims from owners or finders, unclaimed items are made available for municipal use. Those that are still in good condition and not useful for municipal services are auctioned off to give them a second life. The proceeds from the auction will be deposited into the Municipal Treasury and allocated to the City Council's budget.
