GRAND RAPIDS — The Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids has been raising funds to try to purchase an original pair of the iconic ruby slippers from the Wizard of Oz movie since earlier this year.
Their efforts ended Saturday, Dec. 7, when the slippers were auctioned off in Dallas.
At a final price of $32.5 million, one of just a handful of known pairs of original ruby slippers is now the most valuable movie memorabilia ever, according to Heritage Auctions.
The shoes were expected to go for $3.5 to 5 million.
The shoes' new owner has not been reported, but the museum shared on social media Sunday that it is not them.
The pair of slippers that sold were stolen from the museum in 2005 while on loan from a private collector. It wasn’t until 2018 that the FBI recovered the slippers. Two men were later indicted for the theft.
While it’s unclear how much money the museum raised, Executive Director Janie Heitz told KAXE Friday it has been an uphill battle. She and the museum’s founding director and curator John Kelsch were at the auction in Dallas.
“We’re going down there either way to sort of see what the end of the story is of these ruby slippers since we were a big part of their story and their saga," Heitz said Friday. "We just feel it’s important for us to be there.”
Another reason to attend the auction was to meet other potential buyers and build connections to potentially borrow the slippers from their new owner, Heitz said.
She said she’s still proud of the museum.
“Even without the ruby slippers, we feel we have a really great museum experience," she said. "[I] hope people just continue to keep coming, and we’re happy to share the history and story now of this ruby slipper theft.”
The museum has leaned into interest in the theft, participating in documentaries and starting a new theft tour in May.
