Every day, 1.7 million passengers use the underground, buses and trams in Munich. With so many people, items forgotten on public transport are inevitable. Laptops, phones, bags, rucksacks, jackets and household appliances have all been left behind in MVG vehicles, and the list of things forgotten in recent years has virtually no limits.
What happens to lost property
If the person who finds a forgotten item is honest, it ends up at the MVG lost property office. There it is kept until its rightful owner comes for it. The retention period for lost items is six months, and an owner who did not miss the item at once can come for it at any time during this period. If nobody collects the item within that time, it automatically becomes the property of MVG.
Storage space at the lost property office is limited, so every few months unclaimed items are put up for auction. The next sale will take place in the coming days, on Wednesday.
How the auction will work
The online auction, with a live broadcast, will take place on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, from 11 a.m. It will be conducted by the officially appointed and sworn auctioneer Markus Rockmann.
The format is the same as at an ordinary auction held in a hall. A lot goes to the winner after the fall of the hammer, and before that the auctioneer announces the price three times, using the traditional formula “Going once, going twice, sold”. The organisers expect that among the lots there will be some bargains. One can take part either in the auction itself or by placing a bid in advance.
Which lots will be offered this week
The auction on 14 October will include, among other things, the following items:
- laptops and smartphones;
- clothing;
- a violin;
- commemorative coins and stamps issued for the first Concorde flight from London to Bahrain;
- jewellery;
- a record player;
- football memorabilia;
- coins and banknotes;
- suitcases and mystery bags.
All lots can be viewed in advance, so that nobody buys an item blind. Viewing is possible until 13 October at the MVG lost property office during its opening hours. On Mondays and Thursdays the office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays it is open from 7:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Registration for the online auction closes on 14 October 2026 at 11 a.m. After that time it will no longer be possible to register.
Advance bids and collection of purchases
For those who cannot take part in the auction in person, online bids placed in advance are available. They are accepted no later than 10 a.m. on 14 October; later bids will not be taken into account. All bids placed are binding, so if a participant wins, he is obliged to buy the lot.
The winner will be able to collect the purchased item at the lost property office from 19 to 30 October 2026 during normal opening hours. The item can also be sent by post, but the delivery costs are paid by the recipient. Further information and registration are available on the website of the auction house Rockmann Industrieauktionen.
Important dates
- Viewing of the lots will continue until 13 October.
- The auction will begin on 14 October at 11 a.m., and advance bids are accepted until 10 a.m. on the same day.
- Winners will be able to collect their purchases from 19 to 30 October.
Why this matters
The auction solves two problems at once. The lost property office frees up its limited storage space, and items that have not found their owners acquire new ones. Among the lots are items familiar to any lost property office, such as clothing, bags and electronics, as well as items with a history, such as coins and stamps for the first Concorde flight.
For those who have lost something on public transport, the auction serves as a reminder of the time limits. A lost item can be collected from the lost property office within six months, after which it becomes the property of MVG and may end up at auction.
