"Wizard of Oz" ruby slippers up for auction 19 years after being stolen

A brace of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland successful "The Wizard of Oz" are connected nan auction block astir 2 decades after a thief stole nan iconic shoes, convinced they were adorned pinch existent jewels.

Online bidding has started and will proceed done Dec. 7, Heritage Auctions successful Dallas announced successful a news merchandise Monday.

The auction institution received nan sequin-and-bead-bedazzled slippers from Michael Shaw, nan memorabilia collector who primitively owned nan footwear astatine nan bosom of nan beloved 1939 musical. Shaw had loaned nan shoes successful 2005 to nan Judy Garland Museum successful Grand Rapids, Minnesota.

That summer, personification smashed done a show lawsuit and stole nan slippers. Their whereabouts remained a enigma until nan FBI recovered them successful 2018.

"It's go an infamous point for us," said Janie Heitz, executive head of nan Judy Garland Museum. "We will everlastingly beryllium known arsenic a spot wherever nan ruby slippers were stolen, which comes pinch a batch of bad but tin besides travel pinch immoderate bully because it put america connected nan map."

Now nan depository is among those vying for nan slippers, which were 1 of respective pairs Garland wore during nan filming. Only 4 remain.

Grand Rapids raised money for nan slippers astatine its yearly Judy Garland festival. The costs will supplement the $100,000 group speech this twelvemonth by Minnesota lawmakers to acquisition nan slippers.

At nan clip they were stolen, nan shoes were insured for $1 million. Now they will spell connected nan auction artifact this December for an estimated valuation of $3.5 cardinal aliases more. 

The man who stole nan slippers, Terry Jon Martin, was 76 erstwhile he was sentenced successful January to clip served because of his mediocre health. He admitted to utilizing a hammer to smash nan solid of nan museum's doorway and show lawsuit successful what his lawyer said was an effort to pull disconnected "one past score" aft an aged subordinate pinch connections to nan mob told him nan shoes had to beryllium adorned pinch existent jewels to warrant their $1 cardinal insured value.

The auction of movie memorabilia includes different items from "The Wizard of Oz," specified arsenic a chapeau worn by Margaret Hamilton's Wicked Witch of nan West and nan surface doorway from Dorothy's Kansas home.

The Associated Press, Pauleen Le and Caroline Cummings contributed to this report.

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