Ruby slippers from ‘The Wizard of Oz’ auctioned for USD 28 million

The ‘ruby slippers’ that were worn by Judy Garland. Pic/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 an auction.

Heritage Auctions had estimated that they would fetch USD 3 million or more, but on Saturday, 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 pay $32.5 million.

The sparkly red heels were on display at the Judy Garland Museum in her hometown of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, in 2005 when Terry Jon Martin smashed the glass of the museum's door and display case. Their whereabouts remained a mystery until the FBI recovered them in 2018.

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