Once-stolen ruby slippers from ‘The Wizard of Oz’ now on the auction block

They have been called the ultimate symbol of Hollywood: the ruby slippers worn by Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz” (1939). They serve as a talisman for the Kansas lass as she tries to return home from the Emerald City.

Late in her adventure, Dorothy (Judy Garland) is reminded by the Glinda the Good Witch (Billie Burke) that she’s always had the power to achieve her heart’s desire. "Close your eyes, and tap your heels together three times, and think to yourself, ’There’s no place like home.’" 

In a CSO at the Movies production Nov. 29 to Dec. 1, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, led by Richard Kaufman, will perform the film’s score as the movie is projected above the stage.

The shoes have become synonymous with Hollywood itself: an emblem of the imagination, magic and allure of entertainment and moviemaking. 

Now, nearly two decades after a thief stole them from a museum display, a pair of ruby slippers worn in “The Wizard of Oz” is on the auction block.

Dallas-based Heritage Auctions announced that online bidding began this week and will continue through Dec. 7. The auction house obtained the slippers from Michael Shaw, a memorabilia collector who originally owned them. He lent the shoes in 2005 to the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.

That summer, someone convinced that the shoes were adorned with real jewels smashed a display case and stole the slippers. Their whereabouts remained a mystery until the FBI recovered them in 2018.

Now the Judy Garland Museum is among those bidding for the slippers, which were one of several pairs Garland wore during the filming. Only four pairs remain.

The city of Grand Rapids raised money for the slippers at its annual Judy Garland festival. 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 was sentenced to time served because of his poor health. He admitting to using a hammer to smash the museum’s glass door and display case in what his attorney said was an attempt to pull off “one last score” after an associate told him the shoes must be adorned with real jewels to justify their $1 million insured value.

The auction of movie memorabilia features other items from “The Wizard of Oz,” including a hat worn by the Wicked Witch of the West and the screen door from Dorothy’s Kansas home.