In New York City, the first weekend of summer is marked by the Coney Island Mermaid Parade. This year, on Saturday, June 19, pop icon Lou Reed will be the parade’s King Neptune and Laurie Anderson his Queen. Rain or shine, the streets of the seaside Brooklyn neighborhood will be closed to traffic as thousands of merfolk tramp from the pavement to the beach in a day-long celebration of the sea and the kooky sideshow that is Coney Island. There’s more glitter, fins and seashells than you’d ever expect to see in a lifetime. And why not celebrate mermaids? Nymphs from the sea have featured in ancient myths, fairytales and pop culture for centuries. The half-woman, half-fish creature Syrenka can be found on the coat of arms of Warsaw. On the rocks of Copenhagen’s harbor there’s a bronze statue of Hans Christian Anderson’s Little Mermaid. And on film, Daryl Hannah made a splash, in um, Splash. In Celtic legend, the mermaid-like selkie is a woman in a seal’s body, a creature that featured in John Sayle’s The Secret of Roan Inish. Most recently, Colin Farrell found a selkie played by Alicja Bachleda in Neil Jordan’s Ondine.

Tip the scales on eBay with these mermaid-inspired items:

1. NEW Coney Island Mermaid T-Shirt (buy it now price, $19.99) Celebrate Coney Island’s mermaid connection all year round in this T-shirt.

2. NEW Mermaid Silver Bookmarks (buy it now price, $4.99) Sail into literature with these mermaid book marks.

3. Mermaid Cookie Cutters (buy it now price, $1.40) Just add blue icing. Bake up a storm with these fin-tastic cookie cutters.

4. Vintage Brass Mermaid Earrings (buy it now price, $19.49) Dip into style with these vintage brass earrings that would go perfectly with a nautical striped tee.

5. NEW Pair of Navy Liberty Mermaid Patches (buy it now price, $4.99) These World War II-era patches will no doubt bring good luck to the owner.

6. Little Mermaid of Copenhagen Plate (buy it now price, $9.99) Small decorative plate from Royal Copenhagen perfect for keeping earrings and rings on your nightstand.

7. Mermaid Avenue Coney Island T-Shirt (buy it now price, $24.99) Go Coney Island crazy in this Mermaid Avenue vintage t-shirt.

8. Mermaid Cameo Pendant (buy it now price, $21.49) This oh-so-pretty cameo would be perfection paired with a summer party dress.

9. Mermaids Soundtrack on CD (buy it now price, $2.50) Oh my fins! Cher, Winona Ryder, Christina Ricci and Bob Hoskins. Shoop. Shoop. It’s in his kiss!

10. Siam Mermaid Bracelet (buy it now price, $59.99) This Thai bangle takes the mermaid myth in a new direction.

11. NEW Mermaid Mirror (buy it now price, $23.99) A mermaid mirror cast in iron for your boudoir wall.

12. NEW Save the Mermaids Tote Bag (buy it now price, $17) How can anyone argue with this eco-catch cry. Keep our oceans clean and save the mermaids!

13. NEW Art Nouveau-style Mermaid Hand Mirror (buy it now price, $22.99) A reproduction hand mirror cast in resin.

14. Huge Mermaid Poster (buy it now price, $39.20) This reproduction vintage poster combines mermaids and beer. What's not to like?

15. Vintage Uruguay Travel Poster (buy it now price, $21.95) It seems there are mermaids in South America, too, as a sea-nymph beckons travelers to Uruguay in this reproduction art deco poster.