You would be amazed at what hotel guests leave behind.
Books and watches, jewellery and perfumes, bags of expensive designer clothing that have never been worn — even elaborate wedding dresses.
Left in drawers and hanging in hotel closets — some items found under beds or just abandoned in a rush to check out — the stash of goods was on display and for sale as a fundraiser for Soap for Hope on Tuesday.
The pop-up store at Market Square triggered a lineup of about 200 people along Lower Johnson Street on the first of five days of sales.
“I’m a thrift shopper, and the bonus of this is it’s for a good cause,” said Kelly Marshall, who was first in line Tuesday morning.
A man down the line asked: “Any sex toys?” He promptly got an elbow in the ribs from his partner in line.
Nothing that personal inside, but there was plenty to raise some eyebrows.
A new pair of Doc Martin boots was priced at $200, and there were stylized Amiri jeans, which retail for $2,350, going for $400. There were racks of designer coats, leather shoes for men and women, a Gucci sweater and shirts, pants and unisex tops in pristine shape and at reasonable prices.
Most items ranged from $5 to $15. Designer brands were listed for more, but still a steal.
Rex Cowen, visiting from Calgary, was curious about what he would find inside, including watches and clothing.
“I’ve never heard of anything like this before, so we thought we’d check it out,” he said.
Proceeds from the pop-up store go to Soap for Hope, which collects soaps, other hygiene products and linens from hotels, and repurposes the products for charitable organizations, including seniors and social agencies.
Angie Vinueza, marketing and business development manager for Soap for Hope, said items left unclaimed by guests are collected from more than 60 hotels in British Columbia and Alberta, including high-end properties such as the Fairmont Empress and Delta Ocean Point in Victoria and Fairmont Chateau Whistler.
She said hotels are obliged to hold items left in rooms for about three months, and once that threshold is past, the items are donated to Soap for Hope.
Everything is shipped to Victoria for sorting, research and sales at its Second Hand Hope store at 426B William St. in Vic West.
It is the only second-hand store in Canada offering lost and found items from hotels, according to the non-profit.
“The wedding dresses are always a surprise to us,” Vinueza said.
“We get them on their hangers with the bride’s name and date of the wedding on it. It’s amazing why they would leave something like that because it’s such a gorgeous piece of art, but we don’t know the stories. We just get them and repurpose them for another bride.”
Wedding dresses, which can cost thousands of dollars, could be had for a few hundred dollars.
Peyton Yip, who is working this summer for Soap for Hope as a social enterprise assistant, sorts much of the lost and found and has been surprised at what people leave behind.
“I don’t know how people can do that, considering the price tags I see,” Yip said. She searches online for new prices to get a baseline, and then the non-profit knocks the prices down further.
She recently found a new pair of cowboy boots still in the box, valued at more than $500.
“That’s insane,” she said. “They’ve never been worn.”
Vinueza said the sales from lost and found items help pay for items in Soap for Hope’s hygiene packs, like toothpaste and deodorants.
“So you are not only buying something for yourself, but also helping the community and environment,” Vinueza said.
She said since 2015, Soap for Hope has served more than 500 community agencies, including food banks, schools and shelters.
The group also provides hotel linens and towels to social agencies like Our Place.
Soap for Hope most recently has teamed up with the United Way and DoorDash to deliver food and hygiene products to Greater Victoria seniors and people with disabilities.
If you can’t make it to the pop-up store in Market Square, the Second Hand Hope store is open Monday to Friday on William Street.
