Judy Garland’s ‘Wizard of Oz’ Ruby Slippers Sell for $32.5M

One of only four pairs of ruby ​​slippers made for Judy Garland in ‘The Wizard of Oz’ goes down the historic Yellow Brick Road at auction for a staggering $32.5 million obtained a value.

The slippers, sold by Heritage Auctions on Saturday, sold for $1.55 million and were expected to reach $3 million. The hammer price represents the highest price ever paid for entertainment memorabilia, easily surpassing the $5.52 million paid for Marilyn Monroe’s “The Seven Year Itch” white halter dress in 2011.

“There is simply no comparison between Judy Garland’s ruby ​​slippers and other Hollywood memorabilia,” said Joe Maddalena, executive vice president of Heritage Auctions. statement. “The breathtaking results demonstrate how important movies and film memorabilia are to our culture and collectors. It was an honor for all of us at Heritage.”

These slippers are especially famous. Three pairs of shoes used by movie cameras over 50 years ago were discovered by collector Kent Warner and purchased by Michael Shaw for $2,000, but were loaned to the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota in 2005. It was stolen. The shoes were recovered in 2018.

Of the other pairs, one is in the Smithsonian Institution, one is in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (bought and donated by Steven Spielberg and Leonardo DiCaprio for $2 million), and one is completely different. A visible pair and were used in rehearsals. The latter pair was purchased by actress Debbie Reynolds for $300 and sold to a private collector in 2011 for $627,300.

At the same Heritage auction, one of Margaret Hamilton’s Wicked Witch’s hats from “The Wizard of Oz” sold for $2.93 million, which also included “Back to the Future Part II” and “King Items from various movies such as “Kong” were also exhibited.