Short answer: Yes, Ed Gein’s belongings and property were auctioned after his arrest in 1957, and many items from the scene were eventually destroyed or dispersed, with some artifacts ending up in museums or private collections. Context and details

• Auction of Gein’s property: Gein’s farmhouse and personal effects were scheduled for auction around March 1958, about four months after his arrest. The sale included household goods, heavy equipment, and vehicles (notably Gein’s Ford and a Chevrolet pickup), with the farm itself going to be auctioned at a later time. This is documented in historical coverage of the case and Wisconsin archival materials from that period.

• Fate of the house and artifacts: The farmhouse was destroyed by a fire, which occurred before or around the time the auction was set to proceed, and as a result, many items were lost to the blaze. The remaining artifacts, along with items recovered from the property, were eventually dispersed. Some pieces were intended for potential museum display, while others were sold at auction or ended up in museums across the United States, with reports noting concentrations in Wisconsin and some items reaching Georgia and Nevada.

• Evidence and artifacts: Reports and discussions from the period indicate that human skin items and other artifacts were cataloged as evidence and later disposed of or destroyed by authorities. The car used in transporting remains was sold and toured as a sideshow by a carnival operator before eventually being shut down. Over time, various “murderabilia” pieces appeared in private collections or were publicly exhibited in museums and exhibits.

• Recent context and media: Contemporary articles and media pieces describe what happened to the house and the artifacts, noting that the property is no longer standing and that the car, along with other items, has a history of auction and display in various forms. These sources reflect ongoing public interest in Gein’s case and its artifacts.

If you’d like, I can narrow this down to a specific item (for example, Gein’s car or particular household items) and give a tighter timeline and provenance.