The most expensive movie costume ever sold is Judy Garland’s ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz, which fetched $32.5 million with fees (a $28 million hammer price) at Heritage Auctions on 7 December 2024. That is nearly six times the next costume on the list, Marilyn Monroe’s white dress from The Seven Year Itch, which made about $5.5 million in 2011. The ten sales below are ranked by what the buyer paid, with fees included where we could confirm them, and they cover costumes and costume pieces sold through October 2026.
| Rank | Costume | Price (USD) | Date | Sold at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Judy Garland’s ruby slippers, The Wizard of Oz | $32.5 million | Dec 2024 | Heritage Auctions |
| 2 | Marilyn Monroe’s white dress, The Seven Year Itch | about $5.5 million | June 2011 | Profiles in History |
| 3 | Audrey Hepburn’s Ascot dress, My Fair Lady | $4.55 million | June 2011 | Profiles in History |
| 4 | Cowardly Lion costume, The Wizard of Oz | about $3.08 million (reported) | 2014 | Bonhams |
| 5 | Witch’s hat worn by Margaret Hamilton, The Wizard of Oz | $2.93 million | 2024 | Heritage Auctions |
| 6 | Dorothy’s dress, The Wizard of Oz | nearly $1.6 million | 2015 | Auction |
| 7 | Do-Re-Mi scene outfits, The Sound of Music | $1.3 million | Not confirmed | Profiles in History |
| 8 | Marilyn Monroe’s red dress, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes | $1.2 million | June 2011 | Profiles in History |
| 9 | Steve McQueen’s racing suit, Le Mans | $984,000 | 2011 | Auction |
| 10 | Audrey Hepburn’s black Givenchy dress, Breakfast at Tiffany’s | $923,187 (£467,200) | 2006 | Charity auction |
1. The ruby slippers: $32.5 million
Heritage Auctions called them by far the most valuable movie memorabilia ever sold at auction. The slippers are one of the pairs worn by Garland in the 1939 film, and the hammer price of $28 million rose to $32.5 million after taxes and fees. The number includes buyer’s premium.
2. Marilyn Monroe’s Seven Year Itch dress: about $5.5 million
The white halter dress whose skirt is lifted by a subway grate brought $4.6 million before the 20 percent buyer’s premium in the June 2011 sale of Debbie Reynolds’s collection. With premium that works out to roughly $5.5 million, which we calculate ourselves. It held the movie-costume record until the slippers.
3. Audrey Hepburn’s Ascot dress: $4.55 million
From the same Reynolds sale, the dress from My Fair Lady sold for $3.7 million, or $4,551,000 with fees and taxes.
4. The Cowardly Lion costume: about $3.08 million
Bert Lahr’s lion costume was packed away after filming and sold in the 1970 MGM auction for $2,400. It was later conserved, with the mane recreated from imported hair. A 2014 Bonhams sale is reported to have brought $3,077,000 including premium. We have a single report for the price.
5. Margaret Hamilton’s witch hat: $2.93 million
One of the hats worn by Hamilton as the Wicked Witch of the West sold at Heritage Auctions in 2024 for $2.93 million. A single hat outsold most gowns on this list.
6. Dorothy’s dress: nearly $1.6 million
One of the gingham dresses from the film sold at auction in 2015 for nearly $1.6 million. Several dresses survive, which is why this one is far below the slippers.
7. The Do-Re-Mi outfits: $1.3 million
The outfits from the Do-Re-Mi scene in The Sound of Music were auctioned for $1.3 million at Profiles in History. We could not confirm the year.
8. Marilyn Monroe’s red dress: $1.2 million
The red-sequined dress from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes was another lot at the 2011 Reynolds sale, selling for $1.2 million.
9. Steve McQueen’s Le Mans racing suit: $984,000
The driver’s suit from the 1971 racing film was auctioned in 2011 for $984,000.
10. Hepburn’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s dress: $923,187
The little black Givenchy dress, with a few small items, fetched £467,200 ($923,187) for a charity in 2006. It is the oldest sale on the list and the cheapest.
Records set in 2024 and later
The ruby slippers’ $32.5 million in December 2024 is a record for all movie memorabilia, props included. The same year a witch’s hat made $2.93 million. We found no costume sale in 2025 or 2026 that entered the top ten. A separate 2025 sale, a Citizen Kane sled, made $14.75 million, but it is a prop and not a costume.
What drives these prices
- Film status. The Wizard of Oz fills four slots, because few films are loved as widely.
- Star power. Monroe and Hepburn together account for four entries.
- One-of-a-kind. The slippers are among very few surviving pairs, which is why they lead by a factor of nearly six.
- Collection sales. A single 2011 collection produced three of the ten.
FAQ
What is the most expensive movie costume ever sold?
Judy Garland’s ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz, at $32.5 million in December 2024.
What is the most expensive dress from a film?
Marilyn Monroe’s white dress from The Seven Year Itch, which made about $5.5 million with premium in 2011.
How much did Audrey Hepburn’s Ascot dress sell for?
$3.7 million, or $4,551,000 with fees and taxes.
Which film has the most costumes on the list?
The Wizard of Oz, with the slippers, the Cowardly Lion costume, the witch’s hat and Dorothy’s dress.
Are the prices with buyer’s premium?
Where we could confirm it, yes. We marked the entries that are hammer prices or our own calculations.
How we put this list together
We ranked costumes by verified auction results, adding the buyer’s premium where it was reported. Prices are approximate and change over time.
Last updated: October 2026.
