Decorative Art, Native American Art, & More

Decorative Art, Native American Art, & More

Catalog

Lot 221: McDermott M7-QR5 "Defender" Pool Cue & Case

The auction will start in __ days and __ hours

Start price: $10

Estimated price: $150 - $300

Buyer's Premium:

McDermott two-piece "Defender" billiard pool cue, model no. M7-QR5. Featuring intricate inlaid detailing, polished wood forearm, and textured leather wrap. With leather traveling pool cue case.

Provenance: From the estate of Jerry Hal Saliterman (1947-2025), the career criminal identified by federal authorities as the mastermind behind the Ruby Slippers Heist, the famous prop from The Wizard of Oz.

In August 2005, Terry Jon Martin used a hammer to smash the display case at the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, MN. Saliterman was a second-generation fence who took possession of the slippers immediately after the heist. The slippers would stay hidden with Saliterman for the next 13 years until recovered in a 2018 FBI sting. These items come from a deaccession of evidence pertaining to his criminal case. A fixture of the Minnesota underworld for decades, this collection offers a rare look into the life of the man who successfully eluded the FBI for nearly two decades, managing a sophisticated retail theft ring while keeping one of the world’s most famous treasures tucked away in a grocery bag. These iconic shoes sold for $28 million after being recovered from Saliterman’s possession.


(Shipping dimensions) Height: 32 1/2 in x width: 2 1/2 in x depth: 2 1/2 in.

Condition: Like new, very little wear.