Ruby Slippers from 'The Wizard Of Oz' up for auction

Ruby slippers worn by actress Judy Garland in the classic film The Wizard of Oz will be sold at auction next month, nearly twenty years after they were stolen.

Heritage Auctions showed off the magical footwear in London before it goes under the hammer in Dallas on December 7. It predicts it could sell for up to $3 million.

"They are legendary like no other," Nikki Hale, manager of special projects at Heritage, told AFP of the distinctive sequin-covered court shoes, which are topped with bows.

"'The Wizard of Oz' really stands the test of time as a cult classic, iconic film that anywhere across the world, people know what 'The Wizard of Oz' is."

"You see them when she's clicking the heels to go home. You see them when she starts her adventure and goes down Munchkinland," Hale added. "They are the Holy Grail as far as movie memorabilia."

Only four pairs made for the 1939 film still survive, and those on sale have belonged to a collector since 1970.

They were kept in the Judy Garland Museum in her hometown of Grand Rapids, Minnesota until they mysteriously disappeared in 2005.

Despite a six-figure reward and the FBI's involvement, they were not finally tracked down until 2018.

"They were recovered, apparently buried in a Tupperware (box) underground," said Hale.

The perpetrator of the theft, Terry Martin, admitted taking them and said he did so because he believed they were encrusted with genuine rubies.

Now 76, he was given a suspended prison sentence in January this year.

Other memorabilia from "The Wizard of Oz" will also be on sale, including Garland's wigs, film posters, photographs, and a wooden game board from "Jumanji" with Robin Williams.