A pair of iconic ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in 'The Wizard of Oz,' stolen from a museum nearly 20 years ago, sold for an astonishing 28 million. Heritage Auctions had estimated them at 3 million or more, but the intense bidding quickly exceeded that figure, tripling it within minutes. Several bidders provided offers by phone for 15 minutes as the price soared to the staggering final amount. Including the auction house’s fees, the undisclosed buyer will ultimately pay $32.5 million.
Online bidding for the slippers, which began last month, started at $1.55 million before the live bidding commenced late Saturday afternoon. The famed red heels were on display at the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, in 2005 when Terry Jon Martin smashed the glass case to steal them. Their whereabouts remained unknown until the FBI recovered them in 2018. Martin, 77, was publicly identified as the thief only after being indicted in May 2023 and pleaded guilty in October. Due to his poor health, he received a time-served sentence in January.
Martin's attorney noted that he attempted "one last score," misinformed about the shoes being adorned with real jewels. The alleged fence, Jerry Hal Saliterman, was indicted in March and is set to go on trial in January. The slippers were returned in February to memorabilia collector Michael Shaw, who had loaned them to the museum. Only four pairs of ruby slippers worn by Garland are known to have survived.
The auction caught significant attention, drawing over 800 watchers and nearly 43,000 page views on the auction site. Among those interested was the Judy Garland Museum, which revealed it did not secure the winning bid despite fundraising efforts. The auction also featured other 'Wizard of Oz' memorabilia, including a hat worn by the Wicked Witch, which sold for $2.4 million. Just as excitement from the auction peaked, interest in 'The Wizard of Oz' surged again due to the release of 'Wicked,' a Broadway musical adaptation reimagining the Wicked Witch's character.
