DALLAS (AP) 鈥 A pair of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in 鈥淭he Wizard of Oz鈥 is on the auction block nearly two decades after a thief stole the iconic shoes, convinced they were adorned with real jewels.
Online bidding has started and will continue through Dec. 7, Heritage Auctions in Dallas announced in a news release Monday.
The auction company received the sequin-and-bead-bedazzled slippers from Michael Shaw, the memorabilia collector who originally owned the footwear at the heart of the beloved 1939 musical. Shaw had loaned the shoes in 2005 to the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.
That summer, someone smashed through a display case and stole the slippers. Their whereabouts remained a mystery until .
Now the museum is among those vying for the slippers, which were one of several pairs Garland wore during the filming. Only four remain.
Grand Rapids for the slippers at its annual The funds will supplement the $100,000 set aside this year by Minnesota lawmakers to purchase the slippers.
The man who stole the slippers, Terry Jon Martin, was 76 when he He admitting to using a hammer to smash the glass of the museum鈥檚 door and display case in what his attorney said was an attempt to pull off 鈥渙ne last score鈥 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.
The auction of movie memorabilia includes other items from 鈥淭he Wizard of Oz,鈥 such as a hat worn by Margaret Hamilton鈥檚 Wicked Witch of the West and the screen door from Dorothy鈥檚 Kansas home.
