Iconic movie shoes selling for R14-million, 19 years after being stolen
There's no place like home for these slippers...
There are many films and series that have had iconic wardrobes and looks.
The blue Avatars, the robes of the Jedi, and Sandy's all-black outfit in Grease are just a few examples of outfits ingrained in pop culture.
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It doesn't even take a whole outfit.
Marty McFly's self-lacing Nike sneakers in 'Back To The Future II' are something fans still dream of owning.
However, there is one pair of shoes that has reached a new level of fame, especially for a piece of clothing.
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In the 1939 movie 'The Wizard of Oz', Judy Garland played Dorothy Gale, and the movie became an instant classic.
One thing that stole the show in the film was Dorothy's ruby slippers.
The shoes have gone on to have a life of its own.
Although they are beautiful shoes, it's important to note that they are not actually covered in rubies.
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One thief did not realise that when they stole them in 2005 from the Judy Garland Museum in Minnesota.
The slippers belonged to memorabilia collector Michael Shaw, who loaned them to the museum that year.
Sadly, someone had smashed through the display and stolen the ruby shoes in the summer, and they had been missing for 13 years!
In 2018, the FBI managed to recover the shoes, and Terry Jon Martin pleaded guilty to the crime and managed to avoid any jail time at the age of 76.
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He admitted that he was told the shoes were covered in rubies and valued at $1-million, so it would be his one last score.
Now, the shoes, one of the few remaining pairs Garland wore during the production, are on sale.
They are up for auction at Heritage Auctions in Dallas after Mr Shaw gave them the slippers.
The Judy Garland Museum hopes to secure the deal, and Grand Rapids, where Judy was born, has raised money for the sale through its annual Judy Garland Festival.
The auction also includes other 'The Wizard of Oz' memorabilia such as the screen door from Dorothy's Kansas home and the hat worn by the Wicked Witch of the West.
Some of the highest current bids for the shoes are around $800,000, which is an estimated R14-million.
More history on the ruby slippers:
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Main image courtesy of iStock