Judy Garland's ruby slippers being auctioned for over $1 million

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Published  December 1, 2024 7:42pm CST
FOX 9
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Auction to buy iconic Ruby Slippers ends next week

There's no place like home,  and that is exactly what the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, MN is focusing on. An online auction is underway,  for the so-called "holy grail of Hollywood memorabilia." The most recent bid for Judy Garland’s ruby slippers worn in the Wizard of Oz is now topping a million dollars.   At the same time there is a strong push to raise more money and try to place the winning bid next weekend and bring those iconic slippers back to Minnesota.

The Brief

    • The iconic ruby slippers Judy Garland wore in The Wizard of Oz are now up for auction with bids topping $1 million.
    • Originally, MGM made seven pairs of ruby slippers for The Wizard of Oz, and four remain.
    • The pair that are up for auction were stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minn. and went missing for 13 years until they were recently recovered.

(FOX 9) - There's no place like home, and that is exactly what the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota is focusing on. An online auction is underway for the so-called "holy grail of Hollywood memorabilia," the iconic ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz. 

The most recent bid for Garland’s ruby slippers is now topping a million dollars.   

At the same time, there is a strong push to raise more money and try to place the winning bid next weekend and bring those iconic slippers back to Minnesota.

Background

MGM originally made seven pairs of ruby slippers for The Wizard of Oz, and now only four remain. Some of those slippers are at other museums across the country. 

In 2005, a pair owned by a private collector and were given to the Judy Garland Museum, where they were stolen from. They were missing for 13 years.

The FBI recovered the slippers in 2018. 

The man who stole the slippers, Terry Jon Martin, was 76 when he was sentenced in January to time served because of his poor health. He admitted to using a hammer to smash the glass of the museum’s door and display case in what his attorney said was an attempt to pull off "one last score" after an old associate with connections to the mob told him the shoes had to be adorned with real jewels to justify their $1 million insured value.

Now, years after being recovered, the slippers are up for auction, and the Judy Garland Museum is working to buy them back.

Buying back the slippers

John Kelsch, the Founding Director & Curator of The Judy Garland Museum, spoke with FOX 9 about the importance of bringing the iconic slippers back to Minnesota. Kelsch plans to travel to Dallas, Texas on Dec. 7 to hopefully place his winning auction bid in person.

To monitor the auction, click here. 

To contribute to the Judy Garland Museum's ruby slipper fund, click here.