Last year’s Nantucket auction brought record prices for nautical canes, but it did not this year—also, 18 cane lots went unsold. The nautical canes with elaborate inlays of abalone, tortoise & MOP did the best[ $20K-33K] as well as a well carved snake in hand[ $8K], narwhal with whale ivory fist handle went for $9k. Many lots sold & unsold were in the $1-2K range. This auction would have been an ideal time for a new collector to pick up some nice “starter” nautical in the $1000 range.

Speaking of starter collector canes, Kimball Sterling had a modest selection of canes tucked into a sale which featured mostly coins. The vast majority of the cane lots did not sell, even for a very modest listed reserve price. My suggestion is to keep your eyes pealed for “auction opportunities ” or contact this site for any upcoming cane sale/auction we could be aware of.