Stolen ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in 'The Wizard of Oz' are auctioned for $28 million
A pair of ruby slippers that were worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz” and stolen nearly two decades ago have fetched $28 million at auction
By STEVE KARNOWSKI and HANNAH FINGERHUT
Published - Dec 07, 2024, 07:56 PM ET
Last Updated - Dec 16, 2024, 05:03 PM EST
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A pair of iconic ruby slippers that were worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz” and stolen from a museum nearly two decades ago sold for a winning bid of $28 million at auction Saturday.
Heritage Auctions had estimated that they would fetch $3 million or more, but the fast-paced bidding far outpaced that amount within seconds and tripled it within minutes. A few bidders making offers by phone volleyed back and forth for 15 minutes as the price climbed to the final, eye-popping sum.
Including the Dallas-based auction house's fee, the unknown buyer will ultimately pay $32.5 million.
Online bidding, which opened last month, had stood at $1.55 million before live bidding began late Saturday afternoon.
