COLUMBIA, S.C. — As the South Carolina State Fair bids farewell for another year, some fairgoers are left wondering where to find their lost items.
Fair Guest Services has diligently collected unclaimed items, turning the office into a treasure trove of forgotten possessions.
Sandy Corriher, a Fair Guest Services representative, said they find everything from AirPods to assorted jewelry and even infant shoes.
"Last year, we had a brand new pair of Steve Madden female boots just left. They went home without their boots," said Corriher.
She said the most commonly lost items are cell phones. Alongside these, the frequently misplaced items include keys, identification documents, wallets, and purses. Someone even lost a passport this year.
"We try our best to find an I.D. in a wallet - or what we can - and call them if we can; we also will mail them back," said Corriher.
Yet, amidst the usual assortment of missing items, one tale stood out as particularly unusual—an incident involving misplaced dentures a couple of years ago.
"The dentures are probably the craziest thing I've ever heard," Corriher said. "They were turned in, and a lady came looking for them, takes them to her husband, then brings him back and says these aren't his—they don't fit."
Guest Services crews execute a daily sweep of the expansive 104-acre fairgrounds. The majority of missing possessions are returned during the fair's operation. Corriher said the staff are experts at using social media platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook to contact people and notify them of their discovered items.
Corriher encouraged fair attendees to call or send email inquiries regarding lost items.
"Give us a chance to return it to you. Call us if you've lost something, and we'll try our best to get it to you," said Corriher.
Unclaimed items not retrieved by their owners are donated to charitable causes by mid-November, while credit and debit cards, if found, are securely destroyed.