Most people imagine safety deposit boxes as untouchable vaults of privacy—mysterious drawers holding family jewelry, old deeds, or a will no one remembers. But what happens when no one opens that box for years, the rent stops getting paid, and the owner can’t be reached?

The idea of discovering forgotten gold, rare coins, or old family jewelry in an unclaimed safe deposit box is exciting—and it really does happen. But buying the contents of unclaimed safe deposit boxes is not as simple as walking into a bank and asking what’s left behind.

A safe deposit box can hold some of the most important items in your life: wills, jewelry, deeds, family heirlooms, and financial records. But when you actually need to claim the contents—whether it’s your own box, a shared one, or a deceased relative’s—questions and paperwork can quickly pile up.

Walk into a bank vault full of unclaimed safe deposit boxes, and you’re stepping into a strange mix of history, mystery, and lost opportunity. From forgotten family heirlooms to stacks of savings bonds, these boxes often hold items that once meant everything to someone—and now sit in legal limbo.

Somewhere in a bank vault, there may be a small metal box holding old jewelry, war medals, property deeds—or even cash—that nobody has opened for years. When the owner stops paying the fees or can’t be located, that box becomes an unclaimed safety deposit box, and its contents can eventually end up in the hands of the state.