May. 8, 2007

(NETHERHAMPTON, Salisbury, U.K.) -- Onslows Auctioneers announced today that the first part of the Paddy Mummery Collection of walking sticks and canes will be auctioned on Wednesday, May 16. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide live online bidding for the sale, including 16 lots to be sold exclusively online Tuesday, May 15. Visit www.liveauctioneers.com to view the entire catalog online and live absentee bids.

This diverse collection of 1,800 items was started in the 1950’s when Paddy Mummery, a vendor, left his office at Shell near Waterloo and passed the Cut junk market, as he did every working day. An unusual looking walking stick caught his eye, and he bought it for a shilling. Forty years later and now in his 80s, Paddy has decided it is time to sell his collection of walking sticks and canes.

The collection boasts many different themes and types of items, including fine ladies' and gentlemen's dress canes; military swagger sticks; antique canes with ivory, hardwood, silver and gold mounted handles; silver topped canes; scrimshaw sticks; and sticks with hidden novelties such as flasks, cigar lighters, compasses, sundials, swords, whistles, sticks, gun and dart blow pipes. In addition, there are many beautifully carved hardwood African and Indian sticks with humorous examples of animal heads such as dogs, horses and birds.

Preview of the online catalog, as well as absentee and live online bidding is available at www.liveauctioneers.com