Ruby Slippers — $32.5 Million — Recovery Find

📰 📅 2024 Report: Ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz sold for $28 million ($32.5 million including fees) at Heritage Auctions in 2024. Stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, in 2005, the screen-matched shoes were recovered by the FBI in 2018. The sale set an entertainment-memorabilia auction record.

█ Source, story, and image: 🔗 The Hollywood Reporter

█ Additional resources:

Records

• 🔗 Auction catalogue, photographs and sale result (2024) — Heritage Auctions, Lot 89182
• 🔗 Auction record announcement (2024) — Heritage Auctions
• 🔗 FBI recovery report, photographs and video (2018) — FBI

Reports

• 📽️ 🔗 Pre-auction background (2024) —  PBS NewsHour / YouTube 
• 📰 🔗 Ruby slippers identification and conservation — Smithsonian Institution

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🔎 Could You Have Something Valuable?

Research Movie Costumes & Props

Authentic screen-used costumes and props can attract collectors when their origins are documented. Replicas and licensed merchandise belong to different markets.

Quick Research Steps

1. Identify: Photograph labels, materials, stitching, wear, repairs and paperwork without disturbing the object.
2. Compare: Search completed specialist auctions for matching productions and costume types. Sort by highest sold prices, then check provenance and screen matching.
3. Verify: Cross-check museum and studio records, seek a qualified memorabilia specialist, and establish lawful ownership. Do not clean, alter or restore an item before evaluation.

▌ Related research:

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Broken link or correction? Contact us. Last reviewed: November 6, 2026.