Do you think this is worth $300,000???
 

The Smithsonian is fund-raising $300,000 in order to restore Judy Garland's ruby red slippers from the Wizard of Oz.

http://money.cnn.com/2016/10/18/news...-oz/index.html

For me personally, this is madness, but I'm wondering if others have a different opinion.

I don't have a problem with them fund raising from donors.

I agree - madness. Unless they are adding real rubies.

When people are suffering from natural disasters, hunger, lack of medicine -- I can think of other organizations to which we can donate money.

maybe they could fix my shoes too!!

Shear madness. If they were real rubies, i could see it. It's just insane.
The people that donate, will do as they please. I love the movies, but that amount is just nuts.
Hmmmm, send money to the red cross to help people in a natural disaster, like super storm Sandy,
or fix a pair of shoes no one will ever wear. Such a decision!!!
Display them on another angle, and no one will know. It must be a man refinishing them, because
no one will pay a woman to do it.

Crazy-schmazy! IMHO. Plus, why change how they look? On Antiques Roadshow, they put a big emphasis on not redoing things. It takes the value away. I think the Smithsonian could find a better use for all that money.

I am curious why so much? It almost sounds like there is a scam behind it. Someone is making a lot of money and for what? A pair of slippers worn in a movie? There must be a person that does restoration and it wouldn't come close to that cost. Something is just not right here.

Couldn't resist going to the website - they want money to make the display, and do research, etc. But the real kicker is when you get to the end, this is a third party so your donation is not going straight to the Smithsonian. I am surprised the Smithsonian is part of this.

Yeah... totally wasteful and stupid. Think how far that money could go to rebuilt Haiti after the hurricane... or build hospitals in Africa. There are a ton of things more important than restoring old movie props.

The generations who even care about this are dwindling... just another case of Hollywood's over-inflated opinion of itself.