SALES OF THE CENTURIES

our Eiffel Tower. It represents, I think more than a city, it represents Hollywood dreams.”

Smooth con man “Count” Victor Lustig tried to sell the Eiffel Tower in Paris itself for scrap metal in 1925... twice.

He read a newspaper article about how the Paris landmark was rusting and in need of repairs so sent out officiallooking letters to five businessmen inviting them to bid for the rights to demolish the tower and sell it for scrap.

One target, Andre Poisson, was so keen he not only “bought” the famous structure of 7,000 tons of iron, but also gave Lustig a healthy bribe. Poisson was too embarrassed to later report that he had been conned to the police but, when Lustig tried the same scam a few months later with another group, the police were alerted. However, Lustig managed to evade arrest and fled to America.

He once said: “I cannot understand honest men. They lead desperate lives of boredom.”

Former Texas mission The Alamo became a military garrison and was the scene of a bloody 13-day siege by Mexican troops in 1836 as legendary figures like Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie tried to defend it against overwhelming forces.

Part of the historic site was earmarked for demolition in 1903 to make way for a new hotel but heritage group the Daughters Of The Republic of Texas raised $75,000 to save it from being developed. They were reimbursed by the Texas authorities two years later. Bran Castle in Romania is commonly known as Dracula’s Castle and straddles the regions of Transylvania and Wallachia. It was the home of Romania’s royal family until 1948 and was then confiscated from Princess Ileana by the communist government. The cliff-top castle was returned to the Habsburg family in 2006 and it was believed it would fetch $135m when it was put up for sale. Maybe it was a lingering fear of resident vampires hungry for blood , but no one was keen to live in Vlad the Impaler’s property and the castle is now a museum and a major tourist attraction.