On the second day of bidding at Heritage Auctions’ entertainment auction, the iconic Rosebud sled from Orson Welles’ 1941 classic “Citizen Kane” sold for a record $14.75 million, making it the second-biggest purchase of Hollywood memorabilia ever.
The sled previously belonged to “Gremlins” director Joe Dante, who unbeknownst to many was in possession of the red sled since 1984.
Rosebud is now the second most-valuable piece of movie memorabilia behind Dorothy’s ruby slippers from “The Wizard of Oz.” The magical slippers sold for $32.5 million last year at Heritage’s auction.
“I’ve had the honor of protecting this piece of cinematic history for decades,” Dante said in a statement. “To see Rosebud find a new home — and make history in the process — is both surreal and deeply gratifying. It’s a testament to the enduring power of storytelling.”
The sled was thought to be lost for four decades after shooting wrapped on the Academy Award-winning film. Dante found Rosebud while working on the former RKO Pictures studio lot and quietly preserved it for decades. It is one of only three sleds known to have survived from the set.
Sold for $14,750,000.
— Heritage Auctions (@HeritageAuction) July 16, 2025
Long thought lost, this original “Rosebud” sled from Citizen Kane is one of only three known to survive and was miraculously saved from disposal by director Joe Dante in 1984 while filming on the former RKO lot.
Dante, the acclaimed director of Gremlins… pic.twitter.com/MUkZoEV06O
Welles wrote and starred in “Citizen Kane,” which followed the complex tale behind media mogul Charles Foster Kane’s ominous dying word: “rosebud.” The last word starts an investigation into his scandalous web of a life. Viewers learn that “Rosebud” was the name of his childhood sled, which was destroyed in a fireplace symbolizing Kane’s loss of innocence.
Watch a clip from the film here:
“This is not just the most important Entertainment event we’ve ever held — it’s one of the most important in Entertainment auction history,” Heritage EVP Joe Maddalena said. “These aren’t just props. They’re mythic objects. They tell the story of Hollywood’s greatest moments, one piece at a time, each tied to a memory, a performance, a legend. We’re honored to bring them to the fans, collectors and institutions who will preserve them for the generations to come.”
An original Bob Peak painting from “Apocalypse Now” sold earlier in the day for $687,500, more than doubling the record sale for the artist.
