Who Knew Paris Had a Stair‑Sale Gold Rush?
Last Tuesday, a slice of Eiffel—specifically a chunk of the iconic spiral staircase—sold for a jaw‑dropping 169,000 euros (roughly S$262,800). That’s almost three times the auction house’s original price range of 40‑60k.
Why the Craze?
- 19th‑Century Charm: The stairs date back to 1889, the year Gustave Eiffel’s towering masterpiece opened at the Paris Universal Exhibition.
- Iconic Status: It’s the thing that turned the Eiffel Tower into a global symbol.
- Collector Buzz: A Middle‑East collector snagged the set of 24 wrought‑iron segments, each measuring 2–9m tall.
How It All Began
The elevator dreams of 1983 meant the original stairs were taken down, sliced into 24 pieces, then sold off. Some found homes in museums, others became decorative features in fancy venues worldwide.
Not the Only Ticket
Fun fact: Five years earlier, in 2016, Artcurial auctioned no less than 14 steps—just a single ripple of the staircase—for a whopping 523,800 euros to an Asian buyer.
Bottom Line
Who would have thought that a set of stairs would turn a collector into a banker? Either way, Paris just kept proving that even its iron works can still make headlines and wallets blush.
