Ruby Slippers Auction Bids Surpass $800,000

A pair of Judy Garland's iconic ruby slippers from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz are up for auction at Heritage Auctions, with current bids exceeding $800,000. The slippers, one of the four known pairs from the film, were stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in Minnesota in 2005 by Terry Jon Martin, who mistakenly believed they contained real rubies. The FBI recovered the slippers in 2018, and Martin was sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to theft in 2023. The auction is set to conclude on December 7, and the Judy Garland Museum hopes to win the bid, bolstered by funds raised through their annual festival and a $100,000 contribution from state lawmakers. Other items from the film, such as the Wicked Witch's hat and Dorothy's screen door, are also included in the auction.