Ruby Slippers Expected to Fetch $3M
Heritage Auctions showed off the magical footwear in London before they go under the hammer in Dallas on December 7, with predictions they could sell for up to $3 million.
âThey are legendary like no other,â Nikki Hale, manager of special projects at Heritage, told AFP of the distinctive sequin-covered court shoes, which are topped with bows.
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ââThe Wizard of Ozâ really stands the test of time as a cult classic, iconic film that anywhere across the world, people know what âThe Wizard of Ozâ is.â
âYou see them when sheâs clicking the heels to go home. You see them when she starts her adventure when she goes down Munchkinland,â Hale added. âThey are the Holy Grail as far as movie memorabilia.â
Only four pairs of Ruby slippers made for the 1939 film still survive and those on sale have belonged to a collector since 1970.
They were kept in the Judy Garland Museum in her hometown of Grand Rapids, Minnesota until they mysteriously disappeared in 2005.
Despite a six-figure reward and the involvement of the FBI, it was not until 2018 that they were finally tracked down.
âThey were recovered, apparently buried in a Tupperware (box), underground,â said Hale.
The perpetrator of the theft, Terry Martin, admitted taking them and said he did so because he believed they were encrusted with real rubies.
Now 76, he was given a suspended prison sentence in January this year.
âStar Warsâ, âBatmanâ, and Bond items to go up for sale at film auction
Other memorabilia from âThe Wizard of Ozâ will also be on sale, including Garlandâs wigs, film posters, and photographs, as well as other items such as a wooden game board from âJumanjiâ with Robin Williams.
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