It started like a seemingly ordinary auction, but what has developed has left collectors and Hollywood historians stunned.
Whispering of record sales was circulated, but few of them could predict how high the offer would go. The air in the room was electric because the eager buyers fought for one of the most famous objects in film history.
When the last offer was called, the stunning price sent the Industry Wave Industry – the legendary Ruby Slippers Judy Garland has just created history.
The 1939 Ruby Slippers are now the most expensive piece of film memorabilies ever sold.
The iconic ruby ​​slippers from the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz have officially become the most expensive piece of film memorbal it ever sold.
The shoes that Judy Garland as Dorothy in a beloved film were auctioned in Dallas for $ 28 million – $ 32.5 million, including taxes and fees – in December 7, as announced by the Heritage auction. This record sales cement their status as the most valuable piece of Hollywood history.
One of the four surviving couples used in the film, the slippers far exceeded the initial expectations. Joe Maddalena, the Executive Vice President of Heritage Auctions, originally estimated that they would sell for about $ 10 million. The buyer’s identity has not yet been published.
“There is simply no comparison between Slippers Judy Garland and another piece of Hollywood memorabilia,” Maddalena said in a press release. “The remarkable sales prize reflects the cultural importance of films and filmmakers. It was all in her heritage to be part of an incredible journey of slippers through the rainbow and to their new home.”
A piece of Hollywood history regenerated
These legendary shoes were stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids in Minnesota in the summer of 2005 to get the FBI 13 years later. At the beginning of this year, they were returned to their owner Michael Shaw, who then entrusted them to the auctions of heritage for their 7 December Hollywood/Entertainment Signature Auction, which attracted more than 1,800 candidates from all over the world.
The sale of this single pair of slippers helped an auction auction to achieve a record unit of $ 38,615,188 for an auction of entertainment, exceeding $ 22.8 million in Debbie Reynolds in 2011, which also leads Maddalena.
The delayed price also set a new benchmark for the most expensive piece of entertainment mechanics ever sold in the auction, and broke the previous record held by the iconic White Subway Marilyn Monroe from seven years of itching, sold in 2011 for $ 5.52 million.
Auction with star star
The auction, which included a numerous wizard about the references and jokes with the theme of the OZ, represented an energy auctioneer who imitated the wicked witch of the scandaling attitude of the West and directed to applicants.
Another important magician of OZ collectors was also for catching. The hat wearing Margaret Hamilton when the evil witch in the West sold for nearly $ 3 million.
Among other items:
Personal copy of the MGM Script of Mervyn Leroy, which brought $ 50,000.
Screen door from Dorothy’s Kansas Home, which were auctioned for $ 37,500.
The first wig “Dorothy Gale” Juda Garland from the first week of filming, which was sold for $ 30,000.
MGM contract signed through the rainbow composers Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg who went for $ 23,125.
This historical auction not only celebrated one of the most respected films of all time, but also strengthened the permanent legacy of OZ wizard in pop culture and film history.
Conclusion
The record sale of Ruby slippers Judy Garland emphasizes the lasting cultural impact of the wizard of OZ and the permanent fascination of Hollywood memorabilia. Their path – from silver screen to stolen, recovery and finally auctioned for a historical amount – add their legendary position.
The stunning interest in this auction reflects not only the value of film history, but also the emotional connection that fans and collectors with iconic films have. Because these valuable artifacts find new homes, they continue to preserve and celebrate the magic of classic cinema for future generations.