My first paired AirTag was somehow removed from my findNow list when I paired my phone with my MacBook (I suspect it had something to do with encryption).

I went back to my Apple Store and explained the problem. After demonstrating that a reset didn’t fix the problem, they gave me a new AirTag and kept the old one.

When I paired the new AirTag, the old one suddenly reappeared in my list! It spent some three weeks at the Apple Store, then about two weeks in Poland and now it’s been in a Dutch warehouse for about three months - last seen 17 hours ago.

I don’t know why it’s spending so much time in a Dutch warehouse - perhaps it’s Apples junkyard in Europe.

Some naughty folk could do this trick to identify worthy treasure to plunder

Wow, could you imagine? A warehouse full of maybe-broken Apple products. What a fun place to check out!!

You may be sarcastic but it'd really be fun for me. Or, profitable for the more naughty ones.

Why not put the airtag inside the bag?

My lost tag is (presumably) attached to my keys at the bottom of a lake. I refuse to delete it from findmy.

Yes this was my reaction too, I can't see any reason to have the airtag on the outside at all.

Kindred spirit! My old Apple Watch is at the bottom of the Colorado River near Moab. Still paired in Find My.

I was in moab last november and took a dip in the colorado for my "bath". Good lord that was cold. lol

It was a pair of scuba tanks in a custom bag which was too small for the tanks, so there was no really secure inside.

But, it was attached to the handles with one of these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B34Y5YZS

There are people who dive down and find lost stuff on the bottom of lakes, and people who go magnet fishing, they still might find your keys!

It must have been both amusing and frustrating to watch your lost AirTag go on its own international adventure