Judy Garland's iconic ruby slippers from 'The Wizard of Oz' sold for whopping P1.8 billion
Judy Garland's iconic ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz have sold for an astounding $32.5 million (P1.8 billion), including the buyer's premium. This makes the shoes one of the most expensive movie props ever sold.
Dallas-based Heritage Auctions handled the auction of these slippers, which were worn by Garland's character, Dorothy, in the 1939 classic. The buyer currently remains anonymous.
"There is simply no comparison between Judy Garland's ruby slippers and any other piece of Hollywood memorabilia," said Joe Maddalena, executive vice president of Heritage Auctions, in a statement.
"The breathtaking result reflects just how important movies and movie memorabilia are to our culture and to collectors. It's been a privilege for all of us at Heritage to be a part of the slippers' epic journey over the rainbow and off to a new home," he added.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the slippers have surpassed the previous auction record of the white halter dress by William Travilla worn by Marilyn Monroe in 1955's The Seven Year Itch, which was sold for $5.52 million or more than P300 million.
Only four pairs made for the 1939 film still survive, and those on sale have belonged to a collector since 1970.
They were kept in the Judy Garland Museum in her hometown of Grand Rapids, Minnesota until they mysteriously disappeared in 2005.
In 2018, AFP reported that the pair were recovered after apparently being buried in a Tupperware box underground by a certain Terry Martin, who admitted taking them and said he did so "because he believed they were encrusted with real rubies."
Garland's ruby slippers, conceptualized by costume designer Adrian and made by the Innes Shoe Company, are featured as "low-heeled pumps crafted in red silk faille and fully embellished with crimson sequins and topped with small bows." In the musical, the slippers are a gift from Glinda, and they hold the power to take Dorothy home to Kansas.
