A pair of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz and stolen from a museum nearly two decades ago sold for a winning bid of $28m (€26.5m) at auction at the weekend.
Heritage Auctions had estimated that the shimmery shoes would fetch $3m or more, but the bidding surpassed that amount within seconds.
Including the Dallas-based auction house's fee, the unknown buyer will ultimately pay $32.5m. Online bidding, which opened last month, had stood at $1.55m before live bidding commenced.
"There is simply no comparison between Judy Garland's Ruby Slippers and any other piece of Hollywood memorabilia," Heritage Auctions Executive Vice President Joe Maddalena said in a statement.
"The breathtaking result reflects just how important movies and movie memorabilia are to our culture and to collectors."
The shoes that sold on Saturday were not just the ones on Dorothy when she began her adventure in Oz, or when she clicked her heels to go home to Kansas, but they were stolen nearly 20 years ago.
Created by MGM Studios chief costume designer at the time, Gilbert Adrian, they had 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.
The perpetrator of the theft, Terry Martin, admitted taking them and said he did so because he believed they were encrusted with real rubies.
Heritage Auctions said the 77-year-old Martin, who confessed in court documents last year to stealing the ruby slippers, had wanted to pull off "one last score." He was given a suspended prison sentence in January.
Other memorabilia from The Wizard of Oz was also on sale, including Garland's wigs, film posters and photographs, as well as other items such as a wooden game board from Jumanji starring Robin Williams.
Source: AFP
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