Last year, a piece of the Eiffel Tower's original staircase shocked bidders at an auction by going for over $216,000 when it was only estimated to sell for $29,000-$44,000. This year at Sotheby's sale of 20th Century Decorative Arts & Design in Paris on November 26, another section of the original staircase of the Eiffel Tower is up for sale. This piece, marked as number 15 has remained in the same collection since the sale of the first 20 pieces staged by Ader-Picard-Tajan in Paris in 1983. The 12-foot-high section is estimated at €40,000-60,000 ($52,500-$78,800). Given the general decrease in ebullience over last year, I'd be surprised if this one cracked the $100,000 mark.
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