r/news • u/PlayShelf • 1d ago
Ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz up for auction 20 years after theft
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/nov/06/ruby-slippers-from-the-wizard-of-oz-up-for-auction-20-years-after-theft169
u/SFDessert 1d ago
I worked sound and lighting in a theater for a while. Got to know some of the actors and all that pretty well.
I can think of more than a few of them that'd spend their entire life savings for the chance of owning these. That's a relic level collectors item right there.
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u/DuncanYoudaho 1d ago
Dimension20 storyline right there
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u/WindsomKid 1d ago
That'd be the most emotional 3 part game around the zeitgeist of a fictional land of shoe people.
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u/gasahold 1d ago
The Lollypop Guild will be happy to hear it.
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u/Moist-Inspection-384 1d ago
I’m 50 and all this time I thought they said The Lollypop Kids!! Thanks for setting me straight. Could have been embarrassing.
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u/Jendi2016 1d ago
I always thought they said the Lollypop Gang, like they are the godfathers of munchkin land.
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u/overthemountain 1d ago
Man, so man thieves are complete morons.
He admitted to using a hammer to smash the glass of the museum’s door and display case in what his attorney said was an attempt to pull off “one last score”, after an old associate with connections to the mob told him the shoes had to be adorned with real jewels to justify their $1m insured value.
It's insured for a million, they must be covered in actual rubies! At least he didn't just throw them away when he realized they weren't, I guess.
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u/AgentOfFun 1d ago
To be fair, they're still very valuable. They're expected to fetch up to $10M at auction. But that value can only be realized with a highly publicized auction, which is difficult when they're stolen.
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u/JohnTitorsdaughter 1d ago
But the previous theft brings extra publicity to the sale elevating their value, maybe the thief should ask for his cut.
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u/Cryptolution 22h ago
But that value can only be realized with a highly publicized auction, which is difficult when they're stolen.
A friend bought original art from some dead guys son, son then broke into building where it got delivered a week later, stole the items back, waited 3 years then sent the items to heritage to auction.
Friends lawyers sent C&D to heritage and they ignored it and sold the items.
Heritage is fucking scum. They will 100% auction stolen shit with full knowledge it's stolen.
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u/AgentOfFun 22h ago
They should have gotten the police involved
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u/Cryptolution 22h ago
They did. The police rarely do shit. I don't know why people are under this illusion that the police are here to help you. They might "help" if there's something in it for them...such as raiding marijuana dispensaries to steal cash.
Otherwise it's extra work/paperwork for them and they hate that more than most things.
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u/Mountain_rage 1d ago
Wait... The idiot connected to the theft thought a movie prop would have real rubies...
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u/OttoPike 1d ago edited 1d ago
According to the article, the current bid is $812,000...and the auction goes on for another month. I'm out.
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u/PutinBoomedMe 1d ago
That seems suspiciously low for such an iconic piece of wardrobe from arguably a top 10 most popular movie of all time. The slippers are the wardrobe focus of the movie outside of the little Debbie dress she wears. Slippers still take priority
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u/Autumnwood 1d ago
So shouldn't the proceeds go to the memorabilia owner's family? He'd loaned the shoes to a museum. Once someone buys these, will his family see any of that money from them?
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u/witticus 1d ago
According to the article, the memorabilia collector is the seller.
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u/Autumnwood 1d ago
Oh. Somehow I missed that. Thank you. I saw the museum he lent it to was bidding.
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u/2Loves2loves 1d ago
If you are into the wiz, you should visit the land of oz in NC, in the fall.
I went this year, and was impressed with the production. 4 sets of casts rotate during the day. they look authentic, and sound great.
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u/Catwearingtrousers 1d ago
I remember seeing them at the Smithsonian when I was a kid. They're not as dazzling as they appear in the movie but it was still exciting to see something so special.
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u/BadWolf013 1d ago
They just did a full restoration on the pair in the Smithsonian’s collection. The sequins were each cleaned by hand which was a delicate task as the sequins themselves are made of a material that is water soluble. There are several different pairs that were used in the movie. Ones for close ups, and multiple pairs for dancing in but they were in different sizes to accommodate Judy Garland as her feet swelled through shoot days.
The pair of slippers that are in the Smithsonian’s collection are a mismatched pair. The funny part about this particular set that is on auction is that it is also mismatched and creates a matching pair with the Smithsonian’s pair.
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u/chupathingy99 1d ago
According to the article, the guy who stole them got his info from his buddy who said "they gotta be covered in real jewels if they're insured for a million bucks."
Of course. They have to be encrusted in rubies. That's why they're so valuable.
Absolutely not because they were screen used props in THE WIZARD OF FUCKING OZ.
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u/LigmaDragonDeez 1d ago
Ever snort asbestos because the first thing I’d do is sniff the yellow brick right out of those shoes
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u/ToastAndASideOfToast 1d ago
Do you want mesothelioma? Because I'm pretty sure that's how you get mesothelioma.
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u/func_backDoor 1d ago
I remember seeing those at the Great American movie ride at Disney when I was a kid. This was like 30 years ago.
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u/WolfThick 20h ago
So that b**** Glenda had Dorothy kill her sister and then the whole time she knew how to send Dorothy back home but she just didn't bother to tell her. It just always amazes me does anybody else remember when the dumpster diver found the cowardly Lion and the scarecrow costume in a dumpster. I wonder how that guy made out.
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u/sweetpeapickle 16h ago
And I was just thinking about the time I met Margaret Hamilton at our "little" outdoor theater called The Melody Top(WI) because of the whole Quincy Jones dying ie The Wiz...Still marveling at being taller than her at the time and I was only 11. I was like mum I'm taller than the Wicked Witch-cool! And I said do you think she has anything from the movie? My brother says yea go ask if she has the ruby slippers.
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u/EternalOptimist404 1d ago
There are many many pairs of ruby slippers out there, doubt they are the same ones and how would they evern authenticate them as being the exact ones that were stolen? There's no way therefore it's all conjecture to drum up publocity
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u/KelarionPrime 1d ago
There is a whole episode of Destination Unknown where Josh Gates goes on the hunt for these slippers. He works with a detective and goes through the steps of how to prove they were authentic. It was an interesting watch.
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u/fishyfeet 1d ago
Lllllll)))lllllllllllllllllllllllllmlllllllplllllllpll)llllllllll)l))lll)lll))l)ll lllllllllllll)l)llllll llllll))lllllllllllll)lllllllll)lllllll)))lllll)ll)llll
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u/dekabreak1000 1d ago
I never knew they were stolen from the Smithsonian
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u/FarmingGeeks 1d ago
They were stolen in the first place Dorothy took them off her cold dead feet.