Ruby slippers worn by actress Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz” went under the hammer on Saturday, and the winning price was over the rainbow – a record $32.5 million, the auction house said.

The shimmering shoes, among the most famous pairs of shoes ever, surpassed their pre-auction estimate of $3 million in moments and when the bidding war ended, they were the most valuable pieces of movie memorabilia ever at auction, according to Heritage were sold at auctions that oversaw the dramatic sale in Dallas, Texas.

The final bid was $28 million, with taxes and fees pushing the cost to $32.5 million, Heritage Auctions said.

Total proceeds from the Hollywood/Entertainment Signature Auction, which also sold the Wicked Witch’s Black Hat for $2.9 million, set a new record of $38.6 million for an entertainment auction.

But as expected, it was the sequined pumps – one of four surviving ruby ​​pairs worn in the 1939 cult classic – that stole the show in Texas.

“There is simply no comparison between Judy Garland’s Ruby Slipper and other Hollywood memorabilia,” Joe Maddalena, executive vice president of Heritage Auctions, said in a statement.

“The stunning result reflects how important films and film memorabilia are to our culture and to collectors.”

– Stolen slippers –

The shoes sold on Saturday have a colorful history. They weren’t just the ones Dorothy had with her when she began her adventure in Oz or when she set out to return to Kansas: they were stolen almost 20 years ago.

Designed by MGM Studios’ then chief costume designer Gilbert Adrian, the shoes had belonged to a collector since 1970. They were kept at the Judy Garland Museum in her hometown of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, until they mysteriously disappeared in 2005.

Despite a six-figure reward and the involvement of the FBI, it took until 2018 for them to finally be tracked down.

The perpetrator of the theft, Terry Martin, admitted taking them and said he did so because he believed they were set with real rubies.

Heritage Auctions said the 77-year-old Martin, who confessed in court documents last year to stealing the ruby ​​slippers, wanted to “score one last time.” He was sentenced to probation in January.

A pair of ruby ​​red slippers were sold in 2012 to Hollywood legends Steven Spielberg and Leonardo DiCaprio, who donated them to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles.

Another is in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, while the fourth pair sold in 2000 for $666,000.

Other memorabilia from “The Wizard of Oz” was also up for sale, including Garland’s wigs, movie posters and photographs, as well as other items such as a wooden game board from “Jumanji,” starring Robin Williams.

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