A pair of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz” and stolen from a museum nearly two decades ago sold for a record-breaking price of $28 million at auction. The auction far exceeded expectations, with the final price reaching $32.5 million including fees. The slippers were on display in a museum in Minnesota in 2005 when they were stolen, and were recovered by the FBI in 2018. The thief, Terry Jon Martin, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to time served due to poor health. Another man, Jerry Hal Saliterman, who was allegedly involved, is scheduled to go on trial in January. The slippers were returned to a memorabilia collector after being recovered. Over 800 people were tracking the slippers, and the auction had nearly 43,000 page views. The previous record for entertainment memorabilia was $5.52 million for Marilyn Monroe’s white dress from “The Seven Year Itch.” Other items from “The Wizard of Oz,” such as a hat worn by Margaret Hamilton, were also sold at the auction. The story of “The Wizard of Oz” has gained new attention with the release of the movie “Wicked.” The winning bidder of the iconic ruby slippers remains unknown.
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