Judy Garland’s iconic ruby-red slippers from The Wizard of Oz sold at a live auction in Dallas, Texas on December 7, surpassing their estimated value by $25 million. The shoes, one of only four known surviving pairs, were purchased for $28 million and will ultimately cost the buyer $32.5 million after including auction fees.
Auctioneers described the slippers as “the Holy Grail of Hollywood memorabilia,” calling them an unparalleled piece of movie history. This sale broke the previous record for most valuable movie memorabilia ever sold, with Marilyn Monroe’s white dress from The Seven Year Itch selling in 2011 for $5.52 million.
The shoes were a major draw at the auction, drawing rapid and intense bidding that exceeded estimates within seconds and tripled it within minutes. Other items up for auction, including Margaret Hamilton’s black Wicked Witch of the West hat, fetched nearly $3 million but drew significantly less attention than the iconic slippers.
The ruby slippers had been missing since 2005 when they were stolen from Minnesota’s Judy Garland Museum. They were eventually recovered in 2018 and returned to the museum. The thief, Terry Jon Martin, pleaded guilty in 2023 and was sentenced to time served, supervised release, and restitution.
This sale coincides with a renewed interest in The Wizard of Oz following the recent theater release of the prequel movie Wicked. While fans may wonder why Dorothy’s shoes are not depicted as red in the movie adaptation, they were actually silver boots according to author L. Frank Baum’s original book concept.
Source: https://people.com/judy-garland-ruby-slippers-wizard-of-oz-sell-28-million-8758065