Heritage Auctions returned to the yellow brick road just one year after conducting one of the most significant auctions in the history of entertainment memorabilia, headlined by the record-breaking $32.5 million sale of "The Wizard of Oz" ruby red slippers.
With the second film in the "Wicked" series topping the box office, the Wicked Witch's flying hat sold for $575,000 on Tuesday.
One of a handful of surviving examples from the film, the hat is one of only two known to exist with its original chinstrap — both used in the film's flying scenes.
The other was sold during Heritage's 2024 auction for $2.93 million.
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“Few treasures in Hollywood history are as instantly recognizable — or as powerfully evocative — as the Wicked Witch’s hat,” Joe Maddalena, Heritage executive vice president, said in a statement. “It represents not only one of the screen’s greatest villains, but also the craftsmanship, imagination and storytelling that made The Wizard of Oz a cornerstone of cinematic history.”
This piece was acquired in 1970 from David Weisz, the same auctioneer who conducted the MGM studio sale the same year.
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Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture.