Lost luggage found 20 years later was returned to an Arizona woman with a handwritten note on Tuesday.
"Well I actually almost ignored the call because of telemarketing. All day long I get calls," Maria Dellos
told NBC affiliate KVOA, describing the call she got from a Transportation Security Administration agent who found her suitcase.
Dellos is the owner of Maria's Art Creations in Tucson, and the long-lost luggage contained art supplies from a trade show in Las Vegas, Nevada.
"This is product, art product, very valuable stuff," she said with a smile. Most interesting of all were the prices on the paints and brushes. "The price is of the past," she said of one $3.80 sticker.
TSA Spokesperson Nico Melendez explained that the lost baggage actually pre-dates the agency, but was found among the Tucson International Airport's junk during a recent re-organization.
"Items that pre-date our agency are interesting. But I understand that we just did some shuffling of equipment at the airport, so it's quite possible that we came across something that somebody left unattended for a long period of time," he said.
Dellos has a record of bad luck when it comes to the airlines — she thought the TSA calls were in reference to another piece of luggage lost and shortly recovered just a few months ago — but said the return of the luggage has inspired some confidence again.
"When I looked at this note, it was dated, it dated me as 20 years ago! And I was just absolutely blown away," she said. "I'm absolutely thankful to the TSA for calling me today and giving me great faith back into the airline industry."
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