From fish to fine art, this book covers the auction business in broad scope and fascinating detail. Must reading for everyone interested in the workings of the marketplace."—William J. Doyle, William Doyle Galleries"Smith not only turns up many aspects of auctioneering which the ordinary person is likely to know little about, but also shows that auctions provide insights into many other more 'orthodox' forms of market transactions. "—Anthony Giddens, Cambridge University"An informed and insightful analysis of the dynamics of the auction market, will be of immense interest to the interested amateur and seasoned professional alike."—Wendell Garrett, Editor, Antiques Magazine"Auctions is a masterpiece of institutional analysis. The combination of thick description and lucid analysis in this book is superb. Erving Goffman would have liked it."—Lewis A. Coser, SUNY at Stony Brook