Stolen Judy Garland 'Wizard of Oz' Ruby Slippers Sell for Record $32.5 Million at Heritage Auctions

Dec 8, 2024, 01:45 AM

A pair of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in the 1939 film 'The Wizard of Oz' have been sold at auction for a record-breaking $32.5 million, making them the most expensive piece of film memorabilia in history. The iconic shoes, stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, in 2005 by Terry Jon Martin and recovered by the FBI in 2018, were expected to fetch $3 million or more, but the winning bid far exceeded expectations. The previous record was $5.52 million for Marilyn Monroe's dress. The auction, conducted by Heritage Auctions in Dallas on Saturday, also featured other memorabilia from the film, including a hat worn by Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch of the West. The sale of the ruby slippers marks the end of a decades-long saga involving their theft and recovery.