One of the ruby slippers famously worn by Judy Garland in 1939’s The Wizard of Oz has sold for a whopping $28 million USD at auction.
THR reports that the footwear was sold by Heritage Auctions to an anonymous buyer for a total of $32.5 million USD including the buyer’s premium — becoming the most expensive entertainment memorabilia to ever be auctioned. The record was previously held by the William Travilla-designed white halter dress worn by Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch, which sold for $5.52 million USD.
The ruby slippers were conceptualized by Adrian and created by the Innes Shoe Company, and was crafted with low-heel pumps, red silk faille, crimson sequins and small bows. This pair was stolen while on display at the Judy Garland Museum, located in her hometown of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, in 2005, and was recovered by the FBI over a decade later.
There are currently three other confirmed pairs in existence: one is at the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., another is supposedly owned by a private collector and the third is part of the permanent collection of the Academy Museum of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, which was purchased for about $2 million USD by a group of buyers led by Leonardo DiCaprio and Steven Spielberg. Each pair was supposedly utilized for different shots in the film.
“There is simply no comparison between Judy Garland’s ruby slippers and any other piece of Hollywood memorabilia,” said Joe Maddalena, executive vice president of Heritage Auctions, in a statement released following the sale. “The breathtaking result reflects just how important movies and movie memorabilia are to our culture and to collectors. It’s been a privilege for all of us at Heritage to be a part of the slippers’ epic journey over the rainbow and off to a new home.”
