A pair of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in the iconic film “The Wizard of Oz” and later stolen from a museum have been sold at auction for a record-breaking $28 million. The bidding for the slippers far exceeded the auction house estimate of $3 million, reaching a peak on Saturday afternoon. The identity of the winning bidder has not been disclosed.
The slippers were sold by collector Michael Shaw through Heritage Auctions, based in Dallas. The winning bidder will pay a total of $32.5 million for the 85-year-old shoes. The pair of slippers is one of only four known to still exist, out of the pairs worn by Garland during the filming of the movie.
The slippers were originally loaned to the Judy Garland Museum in Minnesota until they were stolen in 2005. The theft remained a mystery until 2018 when the FBI recovered them in a sting operation. Former mobster Terry Jon Martin was indicted in May 2023 for the theft, and later pleaded guilty in October of the same year.
The auction of the ruby slippers sets a new record for entertainment memorabilia, surpassing the previous record held by Marilyn Monroe’s white dress. The Judy Garland Museum attempted to bid on the slippers to reacquire them but could not keep up with the high prices. This sale marks a significant moment in entertainment history and the saga of the stolen ruby slippers finally comes to a close.
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