Ruby Slippers Set $32.5 Million Record as Movie Props Enter Blue-Chip Territory
In December 2024, Judy Garland's iconic ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz fetched a remarkable $32.5 million at Heritage Auctions, setting a record for film memorabilia. These slippers, previously owned by Michael Shaw, were stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, in August 2005 and later recovered by the FBI in 2018. Terry Jon Martin admitted to the theft and received a sentence in January 2024. Complications over ownership claims postponed the sale until Shaw's rights were confirmed. MGM created multiple pairs for the 1939 classic, with one pair each housed at the Smithsonian and Academy Museum. The sale underscores the film's legendary status and a clear chain of custody.
Key facts
- Judy Garland's ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz sold for $32.5 million at Heritage Auctions in December 2024, the highest price ever for film memorabilia at auction.
- The slippers were stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, in August 2005 and recovered by the FBI in 2018 after 13 years missing.
- Terry Jon Martin pleaded guilty to the theft and was sentenced in January 2024.
- The Aston Martin DB5 from Goldfinger sold for roughly $6.4 million at RM Sotheby's Monterey sale in August 2019.
- The 1966 Batmobile sold for $4.62 million at Barrett-Jackson in Scottsdale, Arizona, in January 2013.
- Marilyn Monroe's dress from The Seven Year Itch sold for $4.6 million at Profiles in History in June 2011.
- The Maltese Falcon statuette sold for $4.085 million at Bonhams in New York in November 2013.
- Luke Skywalker's lightsaber sold for $3.78 million at a Propstore auction in September 2022.
Entities
Artists
- Judy Garland
- Michael Shaw
- Terry Jon Martin
- Marilyn Monroe
- William Travilla
- Billy Wilder
- Debbie Reynolds
- John Huston
- Dashiell Hammett
- Humphrey Bogart
- William Conrad
- Mark Hamill
- Bert Lahr
- James Comisar
- Gilbert Adrian
- Richard Thorpe
- George Cukor
- Victor Fleming
- Ralph McQuarrie
- Brian Muir
- David Prowse
- James Earl Jones
- Harrison Ford
- Audrey Hepburn
- Hubert de Givenchy
- George Barris
- Adam West
- Rick Champagne
- John F. Kennedy
Institutions
- Heritage Auctions
- Bonhams
- Christie's
- Profiles in History
- Propstore
- Barrett-Jackson
- RM Sotheby's
- Judy Garland Museum
- FBI
- MGM
- Smithsonian's National Museum of American History
- Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
- Eon Productions
- Aston Martin
- Touring of Milan
- Ford
- 20th Century Fox
- Warner Bros.
- Julien's Auctions
- Rock Island Auction Company
- City of Joy Aid
Locations
- Grand Rapids
- Minnesota
- United States
- Dallas
- Texas
- Monterey
- California
- Scottsdale
- Arizona
- New York
- New York City
- London
- United Kingdom
- Boca Raton
- Florida
- Newport Pagnell
- Gaydon
- Rome
- Italy
- Vatican
- Lexington Avenue
- Manhattan
- Elstree Studios
- India
Sources
- Quartz —