I mailed out an Audio Book a few days ago and the Post Office sent me a letter stating that the address label came off the package. They included the address label in the letter with a claim form to detail the contents of the package. I am to send the claim form to the Mail Recovery Center in Atlanta so they can look for it.  Did this ever happen to you ? Did the Post Office recover it ? and for you Post Office employees is this a huge lost and found center where all separated contents of a package go to be reclaimed ?? I can't imagine the crap that they get there. 

Almost...but then my book was mysteriously returned to me :-)

The mail recovery center is a huge place. I think there are 3 centers for all the stuff found. I know they have huge auctions from time to time for unclaimed things. http://www.usps.com/auctions/index.htm

I have seen this a few times over the years. I am not sure what the actual recovery rate is when you send a claim. I normally just see the ones that are not found.

I've known about the recovery centers for quite some time now, but never had a chance to visit one.  The mental image I get when I think about it is a bunch of mail with various bandages, being cared for by PO employees in white lab coats - taking them for physical therapy, fitting them for various braces, etc., escorting them down the hallways with their little walkers...

I had a book get lost about a year ago, and the person I was sending it to got the note from the recovery center.  She sent in the information, but the book was never found.

My dad works for the Postal Service, and so I asked him about the recovery center at the time.  He said there was a chance that they found it, but the way he said it didn't make it sound too likely.  He works at a small post office, though, so I don't know how often he's dealt with this problem.

I always try to slip something with the "to" address inside of the package that I'm sending so if the label comes off, they can figure out where it needs to go.

I had to LOL at that Pam, even though it's very good advice.  Given my previous mental image of the recovery centers it just made me think of sewing tags in your underwear before going off to summer camp.  :)