You’d think a pair of sparkly heels from a 1939 film would be one-of-a-kind, right? Nope. The MGM costume department made several pairs for Judy Garland to wear during filming—estimates range from five to ten. Some had felt soles for quiet walking, others had hard leather for stunt scenes. Today, only four authenticated pairs are known to exist, and they’re basically the rock stars of movie memorabilia. One pair sold at auction in 2000 for $666,000—and in 2011, a different pair fetched a cool $2 million. That’s enough glitter to buy a small island, or at least a lifetime supply of ruby-red nail polish.
The Theft That Sounds Like a Heist Movie
Here’s a twist even the Wicked Witch would respect: one pair of slippers was stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, in 2005. The thief, Terry Jon Martin, used a sledgehammer to smash a plexiglass case, grabbed the shoes, and then—get this—panicked. He hid them for 13 years, terrified of the curse he believed came with them. (Spoiler: the “curse” was just owning something that hot.) The FBI finally recovered them in 2018, and they’re now on display at the Smithsonian. So if you ever feel like committing a crime, remember: unless you’re a flying monkey, it probably won’t end well.
