The court-ordered auction next week of many of James “Whitey’’ Bulger’s worldly possessions will give the public a chance to bid on everything from his “psycho killer’’ skull ring to his plastic Christmas tree and will offer a window into the life of a once notorious gangster who morphed into a frugal old man by the time he was captured by authorities.

On June 24, the day before the auction officially opens, the public is invited to wander through a 9,000 square-foot room at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, where hundreds of items seized from the Santa Monica, Calif., apartment Bulger and Catherine Greig shared as fugitives — along with items recovered from a London safe deposit box and from homes in South Boston, Quincy, and Louisiana — will be on display. The preview will run from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.

There are high-ticket items, including Bulger’s gold diamond claddagh ring; a diamond ring he gave to Greig; the sterling silver “psycho killer skull ring’’ he bought in London; and a replica 1986 Montreal Canadiens Stanley Cup championship ring.

But many of the offerings are ordinary remnants of Bulger and Greig’s modest lifestyle as fugitives: cheap furniture; a 40-inch flat-screen Sony television; dinnerware; assorted knickknacks, including ceramic cats and poodle salt and pepper shakers; stacks of books, many with Bulger’s handwritten notations in the margins; and a vast collection of sneakers, hoodies, jeans and hats, including the white one Bulger wore when he was captured in California five years ago.

The proceeds of the auction, being held by the US Marshals Service, will be distributed among the families of 20 people Bulger and his crew were accused of killing, and several of Bulger’s extortion victims.

“We are going to try to maximize the proceeds, based upon his notoriety,’’ US Marshal John Gibbons said in an interview, adding that the Marshals Service, the US attorney’s office, and the FBI reviewed all of the forfeited items to determine what was appropriate for auction, noting, “obviously we are going to be tasteful in what we do sell.’’

The auction will also include fine jewelry, diamonds, watches, coins and bullion forfeited to the government by other criminals, according to authorities, who said they want to take advantage of the attention Bulger’s belongings are expected to attract.

Patricia Donahue, whose husband, Michael, was shot to death by Bulger in 1982, said she hopes the auction makes a lot of money to benefit families who are struggling, but she isn’t optimistic.

“In my heart, I don’t think there is anything substantial that is going to make a difference to the families,’’ said Donahue, noting that aside from the jewelry, many of Bulger’s belongings have minimal value.

Still, she said, she plans to attend the auction because she’s curious to see who shows up and what they bid.

Bidding will start at 10 a.m. on June 25 at the South Boston convention center, which is offering free admission and holds up to 1,000 people. A Texas auction house, Gaston & Sheehan, will offer a simulcast auction online. Organizers hope to stage the auction room to resemble the layout of the two-bedroom apartment where Bulger and Greig lived.

“Our goal is to try to recreate to the best of our ability his apartment,’’ said Thomas J. Abernathy III, an assistant chief inspector for the US Marshals Service asset forfeiture division.

Some of the items expected to generate interest include a boxing mannequin that Bulger outfitted with a safari-style hat and propped in the window of his third-floor apartment to make it appear as if someone was keeping watch, and a rat-shaped pencil holder. Bulger spent much of his 2013 trial trying to refute evidence that he was a longtime FBI informant.

Donna DePrisco, a gemologist at DePrisco Jewelers who does appraisals for the FBI, appraised Bulger’s jewelry and speculated that it could fetch at least $100,000. She said Bulger’s coin collection may fetch more money if each piece is sold individually, in packets indicating it was owned by the gangster.

“All of the merchandise should be sold at substantially higher than the fair market value because of its provenance,’’ DePrisco said.

US Attorney Carmen Ortiz said she did not want to bring Bulger any more notoriety.

“You don’t want to draw more attention to him, but on the other hand you don’t want items that could generate a tremendous amount of money go for naught when we have victims who will never be made whole,’’ Ortiz said.

Tim Connors, whose father, Edward, was killed by Bulger in 1975, said it was “a good thing’’ that the government was selling off Bulger’s belongings to benefit the families.

“I don’t think it will stroke his ego at all,’’ Connors said. “I think it will be more irritating knowing that people are out there with his stuff.’’

Connors predicted that Bulger’s rat-shaped pencil holder, in particular, would reap a hefty profit because of Bulger’s status as an FBI informant.

When Bulger and Greig were captured after more than 16 years on the run, the FBI found $822,000 cash and 30 guns hidden in the walls of their apartment. Authorities said the government is prohibited from selling firearms, so they will not be auctioned.

Another item — one of intense interest — that also won’t be included is a memoir that Bulger was working on when he was captured, which was also seized.

“We haven’t resolved that one,’’ said Ortiz, when asked if it would be sold to raise money for victims’ families.

Bulger, 86, who is serving a life sentence at a federal penitentiary in Florida, was convicted in 2013 of participating in 11 murders in the 1970s and 1980s while running a sprawling criminal organization. He was acquitted of seven slayings and jurors were unable to reach a verdict on whether he strangled 26-year-old Debra Davis.

US District Judge Denise J. Casper ordered a $25.2 million forfeiture judgment against Bulger, allowing the government to seize current and future assets, and issued an order allowing the auction.

Greig, 65, is serving 10 years in prison for helping Bulger evade capture and refusing to testify before a grand jury about whether others assisted them.

Andy Kahan, a victims advocate from Houston who has been on a national crusade to stop the sale of so-called “murderabilia’’ from high-profile killers, said that if money is going to made from Bulger’s belongings, it should go to victims’ families.

However, he said, he was concerned that people would buy items, then resell them for a profit on sites that sell memorabilia from killers.

“Bulger items are so scarce and frankly nonexistent on murderabilia sites, that’s what is going to make him a big catch,’’ said Kahan, adding that he wouldn’t be surprised if dealers from those sites use the auction as “an opportunity for them to cash in on Bulger.’’

Shelley Murphy can be reached at shmurphy@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @shelleymurph.