The Wicked Witch’s Hourglass From ‘The Wizard of Oz’ Was the Top Lot at an $8 Million Auction of Movie Memorabilia

The sale also included the Holy Grail from 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.'

Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz (1939). One of the hourglasses made for the film sold for $495,000 at Heritage Auctions. Photo courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

The Wicked Witch’s hourglass, Moses’s robe, and one of Willy Wonka’s Golden Tickets were among nearly $8 million in movie memorabilia snapped up over the weekend at the “Hollywood and Entertainment Signature Auction” at Heritage Auctions.

The gargoyle-decorated hourglass from The Wizard of Oz was the sale’s leading lot, fetching $495,000. In the 1939 film, the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton) threatens to end Dorothy Gale’s (Judy Garland) life when the glittering red sands run out. The prop was made of wood, papier-mâché, and handblown glass.

The sale also included two costumes from the classic movie, known for its pioneering use of Technicolor in a feature film.

The Wizard of Oz Museum in Cape Canaveral, Florida, snapped up a test version of Dorothy’s blue-and-white gingham pinafore for $125,000 and a jacket from a resident of the Emerald City for $37,500.

Actors Judy Garland (right) as Dorothy and Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch of the West in the musical film <em>The Wizard of Oz</em> (1939). Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images.

Actors Judy Garland (right) as Dorothy and Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch of the West in the musical film The Wizard of Oz (1939). Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images.

Other memorable garments from cinema that achieved big results in the sale included Charlton Heston’s robe from his role as Moses in The Ten Commandments (1956), which sold for $447,000. The dress Julie Andrews wore to sing “So Long, Farewell” as Maria in The Sound of Music (1965) went for $100,000, while her Mary Poppins (1964) co-star Dick Van Dyke’s pink-and-yellow-striped jacket, which he wore as Bert performing the film’s “Jolly Holiday,” achieved $200,000.

There were also two big lots from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986), including the $143,750 sweater vest Matthew Broderick donned as the title character lip-syncing for crowds at a Chicago parade. The film’s famous Ferrari 250 GT California was among the top lots with a $337,500 sale of the replica used in the film’s dramatic climax—it’s just a fiberglass shell of the car’s exterior, so it doesn’t drive.

The Wicked Witch of the West's hourglass from The Wizard of Oz (1939), which sold for $495,000 at Heritage Auctions. Photo courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

The Wicked Witch of the West’s hourglass from The Wizard of Oz (1939), which sold for $495,000 at Heritage Auctions. Photo courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

It wasn’t the only famous car from movie history represented in the auction. The Love Bug also had a six-figure result, with a 1961 Beetle from Herbie Goes Bananas (1980) going for $212,500.

A number of memorable props also made a splash in the sale, including the first Y-wing model built for the Star Wars franchise, with a price tag of $175,000, and a Back to the Future Part II (1989) hoverboard for $87,500. The massive claymore sword and sheath wielded by Mel Gibson’s William Wallace in Braveheart (1995) went for $275,000, while Captain America’s (Chris Evans) shield from Avengers: Endgame (2019) sold for $162,500. (The old-school version from 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger went for $75,000.)

Captain America's (Chris Evans) shield from <em>Avengers: Endgame</em> (2019) sold for $162,500 at Heritage Auctions. Photo courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

Captain America’s (Chris Evans) shield from Avengers: Endgame (2019) sold for $162,500 at Heritage Auctions. Photo courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

Another legendary action movie prop of note was the humble wooden cup that Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) successfully identified as the true Holy Grail in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)—a relative bargain at $50,000.

Finally, the fantasy film genre was also represented with one of the golden tickets that appeared in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971), and brought in $137,500.

See more photos from the sale below.

This Golden Ticket prop from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) sold for $137,500 at Heritage Auctions. Photo courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

This Golden Ticket prop from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) sold for $137,500 at Heritage Auctions. Photo courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

This modified 1961 Volkswagen Beetle from <em>Herbie Goes Bananas</em> (1980) sold for $212,500 at Heritage Auctions. Photo courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

This modified 1961 Volkswagen Beetle from Herbie Goes Bananas (1980) sold for $212,500 at Heritage Auctions. Photo courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

This Holy Grail prop from <em>Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade</em> (1989) sold for $50,000 at Heritage Auctions. Photo courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

This Holy Grail prop from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) sold for $50,000 at Heritage Auctions. Photo courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

The replica Ferrari 250 GT California from <em>Ferris Bueller's Day Off</em> (1986) sold for $337,500 at Heritage Auctions. Photo courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

The replica Ferrari 250 GT California from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) sold for $337,500 at Heritage Auctions. Photo courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

Charlton Heston's robe from his role as Moses in The Ten Commandments (1956) sold for $447,000 at Heritage Auctions. Photo courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

Charlton Heston’s robe from his role as Moses in The Ten Commandments (1956) sold for $447,000 at Heritage Auctions. Photo courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

This hoverboard prop from <em>Back to the Future Part II</em> (1989) sold for $87,500 at Heritage Auctions. Photo courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

This hoverboard prop from Back to the Future Part II (1989) sold for $87,500 at Heritage Auctions. Photo courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

Dick Van Dyke's pink-and-yellow-striped jacket from his role as Burt in <em>Mary Poppins</em> (1964) sold for $200,000 at Heritage Auctions. Photo courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

Dick Van Dyke’s pink-and-yellow-striped jacket from his role as Burt in Mary Poppins (1964) sold for $200,000 at Heritage Auctions. Photo courtesy of Heritage Auctions.


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