December 12, 2024
Over the rainbow and off to a new home.
Heritage Auctions announcing Saturday’s sale of a pair of ruby red slippers used in the movie “The Wizard of Oz.”
What Happened: The slippers sold to a private collector for a historic $32.5 million – the highest purchase price ever for a single item of entertainment memorabilia at an auction. The second highest? Marilyn Monroe’s dress from “Seven Year Itch” fetched $5.5 million in 2011. Heritage Auctions says the record-breaking amount “reflects just how important movies and movie memorabilia are to our culture and to collectors.”
While multiple slippers were worn by Judy Garland in the filming of the movie, only four are known to still exist. The pair sold on Saturday, however, made history when they were stolen nearly 20 years ago from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. They were recovered six years ago by the FBI and returned to Michael Shaw, the original owner of the slippers who had loaned them to the museum.
Read More: Ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in ‘Wizard of Oz’ sell for $32.5 million at auction (NBC News)
Image Credit: Heritage Auctions
by Stephanie Wagner, based in Florida
