Despite the general squishiness of its central character, the book abounds with colorful personalities in supporting roles, such as W. Graham Arader III, the bombastic map dealer who pretty much created today's hot market in antique-map collecting.

FORBES: Atlas Unbound

He began collecting expensive stuff--antique furniture, Swiss watches, a Porsche, a Mercedes, a second home in Florida.

FORBES: Busted

Prizes like the mermaid went to a small group of buyers assembled by Ben Rapaport, a Reston, Va. authority on tobacciana collecting and the author of five books on antique pipes and related topics.

FORBES: Magazine Article