The Art of the Unusual

Inside the Auction House That Made the Impossible Possible

By: Arlan Ettinger

Every object has a story to tell…Fine art. Priceless jewels. Museum-worthy masterpieces. In 1970s New York, the auction world was a velvet-rope affair—until Arlan Ettinger crashed the party.With his wife, Barbara, Arlan launched Guernsey's, a scrappy, anything-goes auction house that turned the industry on its head. Forget Old Masters—Guernsey's sold the unexpected, the irresistible, the downright bizarre. Doors from the legendary Chelsea Hotel. The entire contents of the SS United States. Personal treasures from JFK. If it had a story, Guernsey's could sell it—and suddenly, everyone wanted in.Part business adventure, part cultural time capsule, this is the story of the auction house that proved you don't need millions to own a piece of history—you just need curiosity, a sense of humor, and a willingness to see value where others don't. Because the real magic isn't just in what things are worth—it's in what they mean. A door, a suitcase, a scrap of paper: objects carry the lives, legends, and moments that shaped us. This book is a celebration of that invisible thread between people and things—and the surprising, often joyful ways our stories live on through what we leave behind.