Let's Hunt for Hidden Treasure

photo by Artist-Dave

You've probably seen adds and emails about unclaimed property. And if you're skeptical like me then you might think these things are scams. And that's usually true. But I ran across this one from the Colorado Treasure Office and it's for real--I swear, no crossed fingers.

The site contains a database search engine that will locate your lost property.
Straight from the site:

"...if you have lost track of a bank account, stock certificate, or a retirement account; misplaced a rebate check, reimbursement or paycheck from a business; or moved prior to receiving your Colorado state tax rebate, the bank, business or state agency is required by law to file a report and forward those assets to the Unclaimed Property office of the Colorado State Treasurer."

It's simple form, just fill in your name, city and zip code. Of course I didn't have anything matching my name.

But that's not the exciting part. This is...

"After holding the items for about five years, unclaimed items - from safe deposit items that have been sent to the state - are sometimes auctioned to the highest bidder. The proceeds from the sale are held in perpetuity by the State for the owners or heirs."

And where do they hold this auction? No, not in a secret building far off on the plains. It's here on eBay.com. And the next auction begins in May. I couldn't find any date details, but I'd say start checking on Thursday, May 1 because as the treasury office says:

We anticipate a variety of interesting and unusual items available for auction, so please check back often!