Collectors and antique hunters scoured over cases upon cases of jewelry, stamps, coins and more on Wednesday at the first preview for the 2026 Unclaimed Property Auction.
The annual live auction is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. Thursday and Friday at the Hilton Garden Inn Conference Center in Columbia, offering up over 2,000 leftover items from abandoned safe deposit boxes in Missouri. Additional previews will be held from 8 to 9 a.m. each day.
Self-described "treasure hunter" Shane McFall travels the country to search for antiquities. He came from Pittsburgh for the auction.
"Sometimes you'd be surprised at what you find," McFall said. "Sometimes there'll be life changing pieces ... if you know what you're looking for."
Despite the availability of digital auction technology, State Treasurer Vivek Malek has stayed true to in-person auctions, rotating the auction across the state to reach more people.
"I know that (with) online auctions you can save some time," Malek said. "But we have kept this experience the way it is, not only because you can get the real experience of touching the stuff in person, but also ... taking some time out from your regular daily life and having some fun at these auctions."
For some repeat attendees, the auction's value lies in more than just the inventory. Joanne Harris and her husband have come to the auction for six years now, becoming part of the community.
"We got to know the people, and, you know, they always speak to me, they know my name, it's just like family," Harris said.
This year, Harris said she's on the hunt for an emerald.
Malek is hopeful that this year's auction will break last year's record of over $319,000 in total sales. All proceeds from the auction are held until their rightful owners or heirs come forward to claim them.
The auction also serves as an awareness campaign for unclaimed property. Malek said he hopes by attending the event, citizens are motivated to check showmemoney.com to see if they are among the 10% of Missourians who have unclaimed property waiting for them.
"It is not only the money that is sitting there, there's also military medals that we never auction off," Malek said. "So you always try to get those medals back to the families where they belong."