Follow the Auction Road: Iconic Ruby Slippers Going to the Highest Bidder

So, hold on tight, people this story has it all: a little grand theft in Oz, gangsters, and glitter!

Imagine that Judy Garland's ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz, one of the most famous pairs of shoes in Hollywood history, are once again in the public eye. Why? Naturally, because they are being offered for sale! But not before embarking on a lengthy, bizarre journey that included FBI agents, a mob conspiracy, and a thief with a hammer who must have believed he was trying out for the part of a lifetime.

Here's the scoop, then. Online bidding for these bejeweled beauties has just begun at Heritage Auctions in Dallas, and they anticipate that the virtual paddles will remain open until December 7. These aren't your typical red sneakers, either. No, no—these are the same glittery slippers that Judy Garland, who was wishing her way back to Kansas, clicked together on film. (And let's be honest, perhaps we would all be buying ruby shoes if clicking your heels could actually get you out of trouble.)

However, in 2005, a slick criminal—well, maybe not so slick—thought he had struck gold when he broke into a museum exhibit case to steal the shoes. He thought they were adorned with genuine jewels—rubies, diamonds, the entire gaudy shebang! Why? because he was informed so by an ex-mob friend. Furthermore, what better way to provide "legit information" than a random tip from a mobster with no prior knowledge of gemology?

The 76-year-old career criminal Terry Jon Martin made the decision that it was time for "one last score." Retirement must not have been kind to him. Therefore, armed with a hammer, he burst through the museum's doors, destroyed the exhibit case, and fled with Judy Garland's well-known heels. After more than ten years, the shoes were eventually located by the FBI in 2018. The FBI, indeed. As if it were a full-fledged heist film, they had agents on the case, perhaps dusting for sequins and inspecting stray pieces of glitter.

In an effort to bring the slippers back to Minnesota, the Judy Garland Museum and a few other enthusiasts of vintage bedazzled shoes are now engaged in a bidding battle. Even their annual Judy Garland Festival has been used to gather money for the shoes, thanks to a generous donation of $100,000 from Minnesota politicians. These slippers seem to be as near to a state treasure as they can get.

You can even try your luck bidding on other objects, such as Dorothy's screen door or the Wicked Witch's hat, if you're a true Wizard of Oz enthusiast. Yes, the actual door from her house in Kansas. (Because a solid screen door is the epitome of Hollywood memorabilia!)

Well, people, there you have it. If you want to possess a piece of history, get your checkbooks ready. If you believe that a pair of sparkly shoes that have been mobbed could be your ticket out of Kansas, then get your checkbooks ready as well.