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

Heritage Auctions showed the magical shoes in London before they went under the hammer in Dallas on December 7, with predictions that they could sell for up to $3 million.

“They are legendary like no other,” Nikki Hale, special projects manager at Heritage, told AFP of the striking sequin-covered pumps, which are finished with bows.

“’The Wizard of Oz’ truly stands the test of time as a cult classic, iconic film that people around the world know what ‘The Wizard of Oz’ is.”

“You see them when she clicks on her heels to go home. You see them as she begins her adventure, as she descends into Munchkinland,” Hale added. “They are definitely the Holy Grail when it comes to movie memorabilia.”

Only four pairs were made for the 1939 film, and the ones for sale have been owned by a collector since 1970.

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

Despite a six-figure reward and the involvement of the FBI, it was not until 2018 that they were finally tracked down.

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

The perpetrator of the theft, Terry Martin, admitted to taking them, saying he did so because he believed they were encrusted with real rubies.

He is now 76 and was given a suspended prison sentence in January this year.

Other memorabilia from “The Wizard of Oz” will also be for sale, including Garland’s wigs, movie posters and photos, as well as other items such as a wooden game board from “Jumanji” starring Robin Williams.

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