Over the years, I’ve left untold numbers of items at parties across the country. I once took off my hat and sunglasses at hedonism to have sex, and afterwards couldn’t find the hat or the sunglasses. It happens, for sure. Losing things is just a part of being carefree and having fun.

But it’s becoming an unmanageable problem for us as hosts.

We receive anywhere from 5-10 messages after every event from people who left something at the party. They will ask:

“Can we just pop-in and look around for it?”
“Can you put me in touch with the owner?”
“Can you go back, get my item, and ship it for me?”

Those are pretty big asks, frankly. For the obvious reason. It’s not our building. We’re gone. We rented it for a specific period of time, and now that time is over.

It’s a big problem. We try to go out of our way to help people, but I’m now spending hours after each party just messaging people and trying to track things down. The property manager has to deal with this too, and he’s trying to flip the property and get it ready for another event that night.

So let’s discuss strategies for not forgetting things. If you have any strategies, I’ll add them here.

#1. Get undressed in the locker room area and put the things you care about away. This is a really good idea anyway, because so many things can ruin clothing. In particular, silicon lube, which once ruined a $1000 suit of mine. Now if I’m wearing something I care about, I take it off and put it on a hanger or in a locker.

#2. Get a compartmentalized bag so you can easily see if you have everything that you brought. A spot for your phone, a spot for your condoms, a spot for your vibrator, etc.

#3. Leave things in your car. I know this may sound obvious, but some of the things people tell me they forgot, I know they didn’t even need in the first place. You never need cash at YCP, and you only need your ID if you’re new. Consider leaving more of your stuff in your vehicle.

#4. Do not bring anything sentimental. This usually happens with costumes. It’s a cowboy hat someone’s father gave her, or a crown someone’s grandmother gave her when she was in grade school. Etc. Etc. If you think something is irreplaceable, please don’t bring it.

#5. Make a list. I like to use an app called “Anylist.” It’s just a simple checklist app, i’m sure there are 100’s of them in the marketplace. Put everything on your list that you care about, and then check them off when you leave. It won’t take you more than a couple of minutes, and it will save you a lot of heartache.

We have an entire 4-door pickup full of supplies for each event (back seat and the entire truck bed), we rarely forget anything because of the list.

BTW, if you leave something little at the club, just check “lost and found” on your next trip. It’s a plastic tub under the lockers. Need help? Just ask a staff member.