Want to own an infamous piece of Hollywood memorabilia?
Want to own an infamous piece of Hollywood memorabilia? Auction begins for stolen ruby slippers.
“The Wizard of Oz” ruby slippers were taken from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minn.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
November 1, 2024 at 10:00PM
The online auction has begun for the pair of ruby slippers from “The Wizard of Oz” stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minn., in 2005.
The initial bid posted at $500,000, but the final price, to be determined via a live auction on Dec. 7, is expected to go over the rainbow. The Justice Department estimated the slippers were worth $3.5 million and Heritage Auctions indicated the pair could go for as much as $10 million.
While there are five known pairs of “Oz” ruby slippers, this particular set, owned for decades by collector Michael Shaw, has the most dramatic storyline attached.
Nearly two decades ago, Shaw had loaned his pair of slippers to the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, when they were stolen in an overnight smash and grab. Local police spent the next decade chasing countless leads, with divers even plunging into abandoned mine pits to search.
In 2018, the FBI recovered the slippers through a sting operation in Minneapolis. In 2023, Grand Rapids resident Terry John Martin was indicted with theft of a major artwork and pleaded guilty to the charges. This year, Martin’s associate, Jerry Salitermanof Crystal was indicted for his alleged role in the theft, said to have included burying the slippers in his yard for more than seven years.
After federal agents returned the slippers to Shaw, he announced his intention to sell them. Heritage Auctions is taking the slippers on tour as far as Tokyo. Among the other known pairs of ruby slippers, two are on public display at the Smithsonian and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, while the others belong to private collectors.
The Judy Garland Museum, which has created a new display about the slipper heist, hopes to bring the iconic shoes back to Garland’s birthplace. In May, the museum secured $100,000 from the Minnesota Legislature and launched an extensive fundraising campaign during its annual Judy Garland festival. Donors can contribute online by Dec. 7 at judygarlandmuseum.com.
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