Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers Fetch Record $28M at Auction
A pair of ruby red slippers worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz has set a new record for movie memorabilia, selling for an astonishing $28 million at a US auction on Saturday. The famed sequined shoes, one of four surviving pairs used in the 1939 classic, were initially expected to fetch $3 million but surpassed estimates by a staggering $25 million.
Heritage Auctions, which conducted the sale, referred to the slippers as the “Holy Grail of Hollywood memorabilia.” The auction coincided with renewed interest in the beloved musical, fueled by the recent release of the Wicked movie prequel.
A Piece of Hollywood History
The slippers, pivotal to the film’s iconic storyline, hold a cherished place in cinematic history. In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy, played by a 16-year-old Judy Garland, uses the magical shoes to return home by clicking her heels three times and repeating, “There’s no place like home.”
Adapted from L. Frank Baum’s 1900 book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the film made a significant departure from the novel by changing the slippers from silver to ruby red to showcase the vibrancy of the new Technicolor technology.
A Unique Journey Through Time
This pair of slippers carries a particularly intriguing history. Stolen in 2005 from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, they remained missing for 13 years.
The thief, Terry Jon Martin, smashed the glass case with a hammer, believing the slippers’ insured value of $1 million meant they were adorned with real rubies. However, when he attempted to sell them to a jewelry “fence,” he learned the “rubies” were simply red glass.
Eventually, Martin abandoned the shoes, and they disappeared until the FBI recovered them in a 2018 sting operation. Their whereabouts during those missing years remain a mystery. In 2023, Martin pleaded guilty to the theft but was sentenced only to time served due to his age and health.
A National Treasure
One of the remaining pairs of ruby slippers is housed at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Speaking on the shoes’ cultural significance, Judy Garland Museum curator John Kelsch noted:
“The value isn’t in gemstones—it’s in the shoes’ status as an American treasure. They represent a national symbol of hope and home.”
External Link: Read more about the record-breaking auction on BBC
Internal Link: Explore our collection of classic Hollywood memorabilia
