A historic section of the original Eiffel Tower staircase is set to be auctioned by Artcurial in Paris on May 21. The nearly nine-foot-tall segment consists of 14 spiral steps that once connected the monument's second and third levels before being dismantled in 1983 to make way for elevators. Estimated to fetch between $140,000 and $175,000, the piece has been held in a private collection for over forty years.
This sale highlights the growing market for 'monumental' collectibles and architectural relics, where fragments of world-famous landmarks are treated as high-value trophies. Previous sales of similar segments have reached as high as $612,000, reflecting a trend where collectors seek to own physical pieces of history. The dispersal of these sections into private hands and museums globally has transformed a functional feat of 19th-century engineering into a series of prestigious, tradable assets.