Movies

Sale of Wicked Witch’s hat from the ‘The Wizard of Oz’ sparks fraud lawsuit

BBG News

Approximately two years back, Adam Schneider, a seasoned movie memorabilia collector who was planning to retire, initiated the task of decluttering. It was during this period that he chose to part ways with his prized possession – the Wicked Witch’s hat from the film “The Wizard of Oz.

Schneider is well-known for acquiring “Star Trek” memorabilia, and in 2013, he and his spouse garnered attention when they refurbished and subsequently gifted the “Star Trek” Galileo shuttlecraft prop to NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

Given his extensive history with Heritage Auctions, a company famous for its thrilling auctions of film and TV prop and memorabilia, Schneider decided to work with them in Dallas to auction off his well-known “Star Trek” collection’s hat and other items.

Hollywood Inc.

Back in the 1960s, a 33-inch relic from the original U.S.S. Enterprise television series “Star Trek,” specifically, was lost for many years. However, it eventually resurfaced, causing quite a stir. Later, this iconic piece ended up being auctioned off and ultimately landed in the hands of Gene Roddenberry’s son, leading to a contentious situation.

The lawsuit filed last week in Los Angeles Superior Court claims that’s when the difficulties started.

“How do I put this?” said Schneider in an interview, “I was screwed.”

In his lawsuit, Schneider claims that Heritage Auctions didn’t disclose the true potential value of the hat, leading him to sell it privately instead of at auction. This was allegedly done to facilitate the sale of another Wicked Witch’s hat owned by a significant collector in a major auction last year. He is suing the auction company for constructive fraud and misleading business practices.

In the most favorable scenario, they chose another client over Schneider, and in the least favorable, they personally purchased the hat – a clear conflict of interest – as stated by Dale Washington, counsel for Schneider.

An attorney for Heritage did not respond to a request for comment.

In my perspective as a cinephile and movie reviewer, “The Case” offers an intriguing peek into the big-money realm of Hollywood memorabilia collecting. Here, enthusiasts engage in fierce bidding wars over treasured items from iconic films, often shelling out substantial sums to add these pieces to their collections.

Back in 2019, I managed to snag the iconic Wicked Witch’s hat for an impressive sum of $100,000, and it was no ordinary purchase – it came from Profiles in History, a renowned house of movie memorabilia. Interestingly enough, this unique establishment was later acquired by Heritage two years following my acquisition.

Among the approximately three movie-used hats from the 1939 classic that are known to exist, this particular hat is distinguished by its black wool material and the chin strap designed for use in flying scenes.

Back in the 1970s, when MGM started auctioning their prop collection, Schneider was keen to purchase the hat, but unfortunately, he didn’t manage to get it. Fast forward six years ago, the hat was up for sale again, and this time, he placed a bid on it.

In July 2023, Schneider chose to deposit his prized hat with Heritage, and it was appraised at a value of $200,000 for insurance evaluation, as stated in his legal complaint.

In simpler terms, “Wizard of Oz” memorabilia is highly sought after by collectors. According to reports, when Schneider spoke with Heritage’s senior director, Brian Chanes, he mentioned that items from this cherished movie maintain a lasting charm and are considered top-notch, stating they are “among the best available.

In the lawsuit, Schneider claims that Heritage subsequently communicated with one of the most prominent collectors of film memorabilia, referred to as “Mr. S” in the court documents. This individual possessed three of the most famous artifacts from the movie: Dorothy’s ruby slippers, her broom, and another hat belonging to the Wicked Witch, according to the complaint.

Mr. S, originally known as Michael Shaw, was previously a child actor and has now regained custody of the iconic ruby slippers. In 2005, he temporarily loaned these ruby slippers, which were once worn by Dorothy, to the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, her birthplace. Among the existing sets, this is one of only four pairs that Garland utilized in the film.

In that very same year, Shaw lent out those distinctive slippers; unfortunately, they got swiped from the museum. A man smashed the protective case containing them, with only a solitary red sequin remaining as evidence. It’s intriguing to note that the shoes were appraised at an impressive $1 million during this incident.

The FBI recovered the slippers in Minnesota.

Last March, approximately eight months following Schneider’s agreement to hand over his witch’s hat to Heritage for safekeeping, Shaw disclosed his intention to auction off the magical slippers via Heritage.

Soon after, Schneider contends that Heritage changed course.

In August, Chanes reached out to Schneider and proposed a swift, private sale of the hat for $250,000. Rather than putting it up for auction, the hat that actress Margaret Hamilton wore would be sold directly to Shaw, who had shown interest. Chanes informed him that this price was higher than any other hat had fetched before, as stated in the complaint.

A few months down the line, I found myself eagerly anticipating Heritage’s upcoming December auction featuring some fantastic movie memorabilia. Among the items up for grabs were the three enchanting pieces from “The Wizard of Oz” once owned by none other than Ray Shaw.

The transaction will take advantage of the eagerly awaited film version of “Wicked,” the stage musical’s adaptation that premiered in November, undeniably fueling excitement levels.

As stated in the lawsuit, Heritage initiated a promotional campaign featuring Shaw’s products, organizing events in cities such as New York, London, and Tokyo.

Shaw is not a defendant in the lawsuit against Heritage.

On December 7th, the ruby slippers fetched an unprecedented $32.5 million during the auction and the hat reached a price of $2.93 million, a figure approximately 12 times greater than what Schneider received for his hat previously. Similar to other businesses, Heritage earns a commission from the items sold at auction.

Or,

At an auction on December 7th, the ruby slippers were sold for a record-breaking $32.5 million and the hat went for $2.93 million, roughly 12 times more than Schneider had earned for his hat earlier. Just like other houses, Heritage takes a commission from the items that are auctioned off.

Television

A replica of the Iron Throne featured on the hit TV show “Game of Thrones” was sold at auction, alongside approximately 300 other items from the iconic HBO series. In total, these pieces garnered a staggering $21 million.

It’s quite uncommon for an item taken from an auction to receive such a proposal directly from the auctioneer, as Schneider explained. He believes that the company breached its duty of loyalty towards him, since they didn’t inform him about the high level of demand for the hat in the market or their intention to tour the auction for the item.

The lawsuit claims that Schneider contends that Heritage structured the agreement with him as a means to acquire ownership at a significantly reduced price, all while prioritizing Mr. S’s hat as the sole item up for auction and providing a favorable advantage to him.

Schneider’s grievance mirrors a lawsuit filed against Heritage last year by two individuals who identified themselves as storage unit business owners, having purchased the original design of the U.S.S. Enterprise featured in the opening credits of the 1960s “Star Trek” TV series.

The men stated that they had made an arrangement with Heritage to put the model up for auction following their evaluation of it at $800,000. Afterward, they asserted that the auction house misrepresented their ownership rights to the model and coerced them into selling it to Roddenberry Entertainment Inc., a client who might offer future memorabilia to the auction house, for only $500,000 instead of the original price.

Armen Vartian, a lawyer for Heritage, stated that the accusations were baseless, describing it as “a regrettable misinterpretation.

The case is pending.

Read More

2025-01-28 14:34

Previous post Silent Witness fans praise ‘one of the best’ episodes ever for one key reason
Next post Annie Kilner Snubs Kyle Walker’s Big Moment for Friend’s Party: Is Their Marriage in Trouble?