His name was Michael Shaw, a collector of Hollywood memorabilia.
“I literally felt like I was hit in the stomach when I got the call,” he said.
Shaw had bought the slippers from Kent Warner, a costume worker. In 1970, Warner found several pairs in storage at the MGM film studio and sold some of them. Shaw paid $2,000 for one pair, plus one of Dorothy's dresses, a witch's hat and a Munchkin outfit.