A pair of Dorothy’s ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz” were sold at an auction for $32.5 million, making them the most valuable movie memorabilia ever sold. The slippers are one of four surviving pairs from the 1939 movie, and were once stolen from a museum before being recovered by the FBI in a sting operation. The auction also included the hat worn by the Wicked Witch, which sold for $2.9 million. The slippers have a rich history, as they were famously stolen in 2005 and returned to their original owner in 2018. The thief, Terry Jon Martin, confessed to the crime and was sentenced to time served due to poor health. The slippers were originally loaned to the museum by the owner, Michael Shaw, who later gave them to Heritage Auctions for the sale. Despite efforts by the Judy Garland Museum and other donors to bring the slippers back to Garland’s birthplace in Minnesota, they were ultimately not successful in purchasing them at the auction. The high selling price of the slippers reflects their iconic status in film history and the fascination with movie memorabilia among collectors.
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