The stolen ruby slippers from the film "The Wizard of Oz," worn by American actress Judy Garland, have been sold at auction for a record amount, reports Tengri Life.
According to CBS News, the auction house Heritage Auctions expected the slippers to sell for at least $3 million, but the rapid bidding exceeded this estimate in mere seconds, quickly driving the price up within minutes. Some bidders on the phone competed for the lot for 15 minutes until the price reached the final staggering amount.
"Including the auction house's commission, the anonymous buyer will ultimately pay $32.5 million," the report states.
The online bidding, which began last month, initially stopped at $1.55 million before live bidding kicked off on Saturday afternoon.
The dazzling red slippers were on display at the Judy Garland Museum in her hometown of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, in 2005 when a man named Terry John Martin smashed the glass door of the museum and the display case with a hammer.
The whereabouts of the slippers remained a mystery until they were discovered by the FBI in 2018. Martin, who is now 77 years old, was publicly identified as the thief only after being charged in May 2023. In October 2023, he pleaded guilty. In January 2024, he was sentenced to probation due to health issues: he appeared in court in a wheelchair and used an oxygen machine.
His attorney, Dane DeCray, explained before sentencing that Martin, having a long history of theft and dealing in stolen goods, was attempting to make one last score. This came after an old acquaintance with mafia connections told him that the slippers should be adorned with real jewels to justify their insured value of $1 million. However, the reseller of stolen items later informed Martin that the rubies on the slippers were merely glass, his attorney said. After that, Martin disposed of the slippers, though the details of this are unknown.
Alleged reseller Jerry Hal Saliterman, also 77 years old, was charged in March. At his first court hearing, he was also in a wheelchair and used an oxygen machine. His trial is set to begin in January, and Saliterman has not yet pleaded guilty. His attorney stated that he is innocent.
In February, the slippers were returned to souvenir collector Michael Shaw, who had loaned them to the museum. This was one of several pairs of slippers that Garland wore during the filming of the movie, but only four known pairs have survived. In the film, to return from Oz to Kansas, Dorothy had to click her heels three times and say, "There's no place like home."
The dress from "The Wizard of Oz" sold for half a million dollars
In 1940, the film was nominated for six Academy Awards, winning in two categories. In the "Best Picture" category, it competed and lost to "Gone with the Wind."
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