Holiday Gifts, Hidden Gems Could Be Found At Illinois' Unclaimed Property Auction

CHICAGO (CBS) -- If you are looking to do some early holiday shopping, you may want to consider the state's unclaimed property auction.

Starting Monday, the Illinois Treasurer is giving people the chance to bid on some unique unclaimed property.

State Treasurer Mike Frerichs said people can make online bids this week on items that were in safe deposits and went unclaimed for at least 10 years. WBBM's Jim Gudas reports.

They include more than 1,800 dimes that date back 50 years or more, with a starting bid of $1,380; a collection of 22-karat gold rings, some with stones, with a starting bid just over $6,000; and two pocket watches, starting at $37.

"As a Cubs fan, I'm a big fan of the Ryne Sandberg cards. We have baseball cards, we have jewelry and gem stones, we have rare coins. If you have some family member who is a hard to shop for person, we have a lot of unique gifts, over 450 different items valued at about $66,000," Frerichs said.

If the rightful owners of the unclaimed items, or their heirs, come forward later, the state will give them the proceeds of the online auction which runs through Friday, Dec. 1 at https://ibid.illinois.gov.