Quote from Stratics:
The deco tool was introduced in UO:R, therefore this would've been in era.Obsolete tricks
Chest trick / Spellbook trick
You no longer have to place items in a chest and chop the chest up, to make multiple items appear on the same level above the floor. Similarly, the trick of dragging an item from a stack of things to your spellbook and letting it snap back, is now obsolete. The decorator's tool now lets you raise and lower items onto the same level above the floor, without upsetting other items in the pile.
Link to the subject on UO Cafeteria -- HERE
It's a bit hard to read because it's a translation from Japanese, the topic is "4. Spelling Book Dropping Skills" and is about halfway down on the left hand side. Again, Babel Fish butchers it, but you get the gist (especially with the pics). This is another link that is pre-deco tool.
I have a question also, about stairs. They were another helpless victim of the LOS changes. I have yet to come across a link specific to them, but looking at what's involved in making them it seems like they should be era accurate also. I know there is now a workaround (the newbied item/decay way, or the table chopping way), but again, I think it was an in era bug to be able to make them.