From the silver screen to record books: The auction that made history

The Hollywood/Entertainment Signature® Auction at Heritage Auctions on Dec. 7, 2024 cemented its place in history as the most successful entertainment auction ever! With total sales reaching an unprecedented $38,615,188, this event shattered the previous record of $22.8 million set by the 2011 Debbie Reynolds auction.

The highlight of the evening was the iconic Ruby Slippers from The Wizard of Oz, which sold for a staggering $32.5 million, becoming the most valuable piece of movie memorabilia ever sold at auction.

The Ruby Slippers, one of four surviving pairs worn by Judy Garland in the 1939 classic, opened live bidding at $1.55 million and quickly soared to its record-breaking final price. These slippers, famously stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, in 2005 and recovered by the FBI in 2018, were returned to their owner, Michael Shaw, earlier this year. Shaw entrusted them to Heritage Auctions, where their storied history and unmatched significance captivated bidders worldwide.

Other standout items included the Wicked Witch’s hat, also from The Wizard of Oz, which sold for $2.93 million after an intense bidding war. This meticulously preserved piece, featuring the inscription “M. Hamilton 4461-164” inside the brim, was designed by MGM’s legendary costume designer Gilbert Adrian. It has changed hands only once in over 50 years, making its appearance in this auction a rare and momentous occasion.

The auction featured numerous other treasures from The Wizard of Oz, including producer Mervyn LeRoy’s copy of the script ($50,000), the screen door from Dorothy’s Kansas home ($37,500), Judy Garland’s “Dorothy Gale” wig from the film’s first week of shooting ($30,000), and the MGM contract signed by “Over the Rainbow” songwriters Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg ($23,125). The Wizard of Oz Museum in Cape Canaveral, Florida, secured LeRoy’s script and Burt Lahr’s original gloves as the Cowardly Lion for $20,625.

Beyond Oz, the auction celebrated Hollywood’s rich history with exceptional items such as the hero “Jumanji” game board, which sold for $275,000, and the screen-used hero hoverboard from Back to the Future Part II, signed by Michael J. Fox and writer-producer Bob Gale, which fetched $237,500. The hoverboard’s sale also supported The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

Other highlights included Tom Hanks’ co-star “Wilson,” a volleyball from Cast Away ($162,500), Macaulay Culkin’s ensemble from Home Alone ($162,500), a golden ticket from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory ($118,750), and Mario Puzo’s copy of The Godfather Notebook ($100,000).

Heritage Auctions’ December 7 event was a celebration of cinema, bringing together collectors, cinephiles and Hollywood history enthusiasts from around the globe. With more than 1,800 bidders participating, the auction set new benchmarks and showcased the enduring magic of Hollywood memorabilia. This sale set a new world record for the most valuable piece of movie memorabilia ever sold. 

(Heritage Auctions is the largest fine art and collectibles auction house founded in the United States, and the world's largest collectibles auctioneer. Heritage maintains offices in New York, Dallas, Beverly Hills, Chicago, Palm Beach, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Hong Kong and Tokyo.) 

(Reposted on Jan. 2, 2026 from the original dated Jan. 3, 2025. This record still stands.)