Ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz were sold to an unknown buyer at Heritage Auctions for a winning bid of $28 million, exceeding initial estimates of $3 million. The shoes were stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in 2005 and remained missing until the FBI recovered them in 2018.
The thief, Terry Jon Martin, was revealed as the person responsible after he pleaded guilty to stealing the slippers last year. According to his attorney, Martin was trying to pull off “one last score” but was misled about the shoes’ value due to misinformation from a fence.
The Ruby Slippers were returned in February to memorabilia collector Michael Shaw, who had loaned them to the museum. Only four pairs of these iconic slippers are known to have survived.
Over 800 people tracked the auction, with nearly 43,000 page views on the company’s webpage before bidding began. The sale more than tripled initial estimates and set a new record for entertainment memorabilia at $5.52 million, previously held by Marilyn Monroe’s white dress.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/dec/08/wizard-of-oz-ruby-slippers-auction