Judy Garland's sweat-stained blue gingham dress which she wore in the 1939 film "Wizard of Oz" was sold for $1.56 million (£1 million) in New York last Monday in three minutes.
According to the Daily Mail UK, the officials said they were surprised with the final price of Judy Garland's dress, which was made by Adrian, MGM's famous costume designer.The dress was sold to an unidentified buyer who made a bid by telephone.
Bonhams were expecting to have Judy Garland's dress to reach around $800,000 to $1.2 million. However, it was sold more than their estimated price -- $1.56 million ($1,565,000 including commissions).
Catherine Williamson, Bonhams' director of entertainment memorabilia said, "But the great pieces should bring a lot of money. The dress is considered a true and timeless icon of classic Hollywood."
"The room was absolutely packed and the bidding so energetic and competitive," said Kristin Guiter, spokeswoman for Bonhams.
Judy Garland's blue gingham dress was one of 10 dresses sold during the auction. But it was the most expensive.
Telegraph.co.uk mentioned that Judy Garland's blue gingham dress was auctioned with a crowd of 200, but was sold for just three minutes after it was presented.
Another "Oz" dress was sold in 2012 for $490,000 after it was first sold in 1981 by Kent Warner -- an MGM costume designer, who assisted the 1970 MGM studio auction.
Aside from the dress, Lahr's "Cowardly Lion" costume in the same film was also auctioned off. The prices of the famous memorabilia skyrocketed in the recent years. The costume which includes the sculpted likeness of Lahr's face was sold for $3.1 million in the same auction house.
Marilyn Monroe's ivory pleated "Subway" dress, worn in the 1955 film "The Seven Year Itch," was the second most expensive item sold for $5.6 million at an auction in California in 2011. Audrey Hepburn's Ascot dress worn in the film "My Fair Lady" was sold for $3.7 million.
