A closer look
Transportation Security Administration agents confiscate literally tons of bizarre, prohibited items at airport checkpoints every year, ranging from loaded firearms and medieval broadswords to live eels hidden inside checked baggage. Instead of simply throwing the non-hazardous contraband into a massive incinerator, various state agencies auction off the seized goods online, allowing the general public to purchase bulk lots of confiscated multi-tools, pocket knives, and snow globes. It is a wildly lucrative side hustle for the government, essentially running a massive, involuntary pawn shop sourced entirely by travelers who genuinely thought bringing brass knuckles on a family trip to Orlando was a perfectly reasonable decision. You can casually browse the internet right now and buy a box of fifty slightly used Swiss Army knives for pennies on the dollar, completely capitalizing on the sheer absent-mindedness of the flying public. Truly, the only thing better than surviving an invasive pat-down is knowing someone else's confiscated bowling pin can become your cheap living room decor
