The famed ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz” are now on auction nearly two decades after their disappearance from the Judy Garland Museum.

Online proxy bidding for the ruby slippers began on Monday and runs until Dec. 7, the date of the live auction, according to Heritage Auctions. As of Wednesday evening, the highest bid reached $812,000.

Michael Shaw, a collector of Hollywood memorabilia, gave the Dallas-based auction house the go-ahead to handle the sale after he was reunited with the slippers for the first time since they were stolen in 2005.

The ruby slippers were displayed at the Grand Rapids, Minnesota museum when they were “mysteriously stolen” in the early hours of a summer night in 2005. The only clue left behind was a tiny sequin found on the museum floor, as reported by the Judy Garland Museum.

It wasn’t until 2018 that authorities found the slippers during a covert operation in Michigan, revealing their long-lost location.

Thief Misunderstood Value of the Slippers

Terry Jon Martin, the mobster who stole the slippers, later admitted to the crime, believing he could sell them for a “handsome price” because he thought they were adorned with real rubies, according to reports by YSL News. He lived near the museum, which made it easy for him to take the slippers.

Martin broke into the museum one August night in 2005 by creating a hole in a window and smashing the plexiglass display case. Just two days after the theft, he discovered that the gems on the slippers were fake and gave them to an associate without charging anything.

“We will always be recognized as the place where the ruby slippers were stolen, which brings both negative and positive outcomes, as it has raised our profile,” Heitz told CBS News.

One Of Only Four Surviving Pairs

The Judy Garland Museum is among those eager to buy the ruby slippers, which are one of just four pairs that still exist from the 1939 film.

Another mismatched pair from the movie is currently held by the Smithsonian’s Museum of Natural History, where they were on public display until April 2017. The Smithsonian states that this pair corresponds with another set that was recovered in 2018.

Community members in Grand Rapids, where the museum is located, are raising funds to purchase the returned slippers, combining proceeds from the annual Judy Garland Festival and a $100,000 grant from state lawmakers.

Heitz stated that purchasing the slippers would economically benefit the state and local communities by attracting significant tourism revenue.

Shaw’s pair is insured for $1 million and has been appraised at $3.5 million, making them “among the most recognizable memorabilia in American film history,” as noted by YSL News.

The museum has appealed to donors, emphasizing that this effort is about more than acquiring Judy Garland’s iconic slippers. It’s about appreciating the spirit of home and happy endings, according to their website.

Other Oz Memorabilia Available for Auction

The pair of slippers owned by Shaw, known as the “traveling pair,” has been showcased alongside other movie memorabilia at various shopping malls for years and has toured internationally recently before being auctioned.

Shaw obtained these slippers from costume designer Kent Warner, who played a key role in locating and distributing the various pairs shortly before the 1970 Metro Goldwyn Mayer auction, according to Heritage.

“The moment I received them, when Kent brought them to me”

Shaw expressed his excitement in a March 1988 interview with The Los Angeles Times, saying, “When they turned them over to me, I was so overjoyed that I actually cried. Kent gave me a hug, and I was just beyond happy. I told him that even if I never had anything else, I would still feel fulfilled.”

Aside from Shaw’s iconic ruby slippers, there are numerous other “Wizard of Oz” collectibles available for purchase. These include a hat that belonged to the Wicked Witch of the West, the screen door from Dorothy’s Kansas house, gloves that were worn by the Cowardly Lion, a script from “Wizard of Oz,” and a painting featuring the ruby slippers.