Monroe Items On Auction Block

No other star has captured our imagination as legendary sex symbol Marilyn Monroe. Now, more than three decades after her death, Monroe's personal property is being shown for the first time before it's sold on the auction block later this year.

Nancy Valentino, senior vice president of Christie's auction house in New York City, showed CBS This Morning's Jose Diaz-Balart some of those personal affects.

Among the items on display is the dress Marilyn Monroe wore when she sang "Happy Birthday" to President Kennedy in 1962.

This fall, the dress with its 6,000 hand-sewn rhinestones will go to the highest bidder along with hundreds of other items owned by HollywoodÂ's original blond bombshell.

"It is American life. It is life in the Â'50s and early Â'60s," said Valentino. "It is a time capsule."

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An eternity ring missing one of its 35 diamonds is sure to grab a lot of attention—it was a gift from Monroe's second husband, Joe Dimaggio.

Thirty-seven years after her death, MonroeÂ's celebrity is still captivating.

"I go slack jawed watching her," said Monroe fan Emberley Strong. "She had that special something, that spark."

With almost every film, Monroe defined fashion, bidding for her famous dresses is expected to start at $30,000.

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And it is history. This is a first-ever public look at a personal collection owned by a woman famous for beauty and insecurity - a legend mysterious even now.

The Monroe items are on view now through August 11 at Christie's. Then the display will travel to Los Angeles, London and Paris before the auction on October 27 and 28.

For more on the auction go to Christie's Web site.