In terms of Hollywood memorabilia and movie props, the original “Wizard of Oz” film has probably sold the most. Dorothy’s red slippers, the Cowardly Lion costume, etc. But one item that doesn’t get as much attention is the hat belonging to the Wicked Witch of the West.
This very unique black hat was sold by the famous auction house Profiles in History in June of 2010 for the high price of $240,000.
The Wizard of Oz (1939) – Winkie Costume: $115K
Even though they weren’t lead characters or even appeared much throughout the film, the Winkies were definitely noticeable. They were the native residents of Winkie Country in “The Wizard of Oz” and were very friendly, good-hearted people that loved the color yellow.
Mostly, they wore amazing costumes made of gray and orange designs, black boots, dark furry armor, and very peculiar tall fur hats. In 2007, one lucky collector bought a Winkie costume for $115,000.
The Peculiar Winkie Costume
Even though in the original book of "The Wizard of Oz," the Winkies only wore yellow, for the MGM musical film of 1939, they wore entirely different outfits.
The costume department for the film thought it would be better to fit the Winkies with striking features and peculiar details to better portray the magical land of Ozian. We’re sure that definitely helped jack up the price when it came to auctioning the costume.
The Wicked Witch’s Black Hat
The black wool flying hat worn by Margaret Hamilton, who played the role of the Wicked Witch of the West, was an iconic movie prop. Not only is this one of the most famous witches in movie history, but she’s also the villain in one of the most famous fantasy films ever made.
And now, some lucky buyer can set it on a precious stand in their living room and stare at it for hours while imagining the magical scenes of the “Wizard of Oz.”
The Seventh Seal (1957) - The Chess Set: $150K
The groundbreaking philosophical film “The Seventh Seal” by Swedish director Ingmar Bergman was a landmark moment in cinema history. The historical fantasy film about a medieval knight that tries to save himself from death won critics and audiences worldwide.
The knight, played by actor Max von Sydow, challenges Death to a nail-biting chess game in a fight for his life. In 2009, the famous chess set sold for $150,000 at an auction house in Sweden, which was 50 times more than what was predicted.