Source: The Canadian Press
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A pair of iconic ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz and stolen nearly 20 years ago were sold at auction on Saturday for a staggering $28 million. The auction, hosted by Heritage Auctions, had initially estimated the iconic heels would go for $3 million or more.
However, bidding escalated quickly, reaching the final bid in just minutes. A few phone bidders drove the price up for 15 minutes before it reached $28 million. With the auction house’s fee added, the total came to $32.5 million for the buyer, who remains anonymous.
Before the live auction began, online bidding had already reached $1.55 million. The slippers had been on display at the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, when they were stolen in 2005 by Terry Jon Martin, who smashed a glass case to make off with the shoes. Their location remained unknown until the FBI recovered them in 2018. Martin, now 77, was not identified as the thief until 2023, when he was indicted. He pleaded guilty in October 2023 and was sentenced to time served earlier this year due to his poor health.
According to Martin’s attorney, he had hoped to sell the slippers for a large sum after an associate claimed the shoes had real jewels. However, after learning the rubies were fake, Martin disposed of the slippers, though the details remain unclear.
A second suspect, Jerry Hal Saliterman, was indicted in 2023 in connection with the theft. Saliterman, 77, has yet to enter a plea and is set to stand trial in January 2024.
The slippers were returned in February to Michael Shaw, a memorabilia collector who had loaned them to the museum. These slippers are one of only four known to have survived from the original film, in which Dorothy clicks her heels three times to return home to Kansas. Rhys Thomas, author of The Ruby Slippers of Oz, noted that the shoes have experienced "more twists and turns than the Yellow Brick Road."
The auction attracted significant attention, with over 800 people tracking the sale, and nearly 43,000 views on the auction website by Thursday. The Judy Garland Museum had hoped to purchase the slippers but was ultimately outbid. Despite efforts to raise funds through local campaigns and donations, including $100,000 set aside by the Minnesota legislature, the museum did not secure the final bid.
The sale also set a new record for entertainment memorabilia, surpassing the previous high of $5.52 million for Marilyn Monroe's white dress from The Seven Year Itch. Other Wizard of Oz memorabilia also sold, including a hat worn by Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch of the West. The hat fetched $2.4 million, with the total cost reaching $2.93 million.
Interest in The Wizard of Oz has surged recently, fueled by the release of Wicked, a new movie that reimagines the story of the Wicked Witch of the West.
