The right stuff

Wonderful things, said Howard Carter, asked what knickknacks he spied inside Tut's tomb. That, too, describes the trove of goodies cast up by this year's Collectors Guide: Meiji antiques, duck decoys, daguerreotypes, French art deco furniture, rare coins and Kurt Cobain's drawings. Here you'll find bargains and cautionary tales, plus a peek behind the curtain to see how dealers conspire to lift prices and how auctioneers learn the tricks of their trade.