No use for bailing out... antique egg cups linked to the Titanic go under the hammer

Collectors of unique memorabilia from the White Star Line should look to Cuttlestones next month

Staffordshire (UK) auction house Cuttlestones' ongoing success is seeing the firm attract lots from across the country. The firm's next Fine Art Sale, set to take place on Friday 4th March, is no exception - and one lot in particular has travelled a considerable distance to be sold at the auction house.

A set of four rare egg cups branded for the famed cruise line 'The White Star Line', which counted the ill-fated Titanic among its fleet, has been consigned by vendors from Southampton.

The reason they chose Cuttlestones rather than a more local auction house is down to Cuttlestones' previous success with a range of White Star Line items, including a set of six cups that fetched just under £1,000 ($1,600) in the March 2010 Fine Art Sale.

The egg cups are a far rarer - and potentially more valuable - proposition. One of the egg cups carries a date stamp for 1912, the year the Titanic sank, and another is stamped for 1908. As with the cups, this lot is expected to draw interest from a range of collectors including White Star Line and Titanic specialists in addition to those with a general interest in items from the 'golden age' of cruising.

White Star Line egg cups

We've previously noted, there are many collectors who specialise in Titanic memorabilia, (this makes them excellent investments) and items can be very valuable:

A deckchair from the Titanic handed to a photographer as a souvenir just before the doomed ship took its naval voyage sold at Bonhams for $77,000 whilst perhaps the most poignant item of such memorabilia to be sold at auction is the key to the Titanic's binocular cupboard.

This might have aided the crew in seeing the iceberg coming in time had it not been accidentally taken off the ship by a transferred sailor. It sold for £90,000 ($145,000) in 2008.

The autograph of the Titanic's last survivor to die (in 2010), Millvina Dean, is likewise very valuable. A rare example is currently available.

Auctioneer and valuer Dave Eglington commented on the upcoming sale:

"We'll be extensively publicising this lot both on and offline to ensure that specialist collectors know it is coming under the hammer - we attract bidders from across the world through our online bidding facility and they can literally bid live as the auction takes place to really feel a part of the action.

"The fact that this lot is one of a number of maritime items for sale will mean that it's broadcast to the widest possible audience. We're confident of getting a great price for the egg cups - White Star Line items are highly collectable and these are particularly rare - so watch this space!"

Cuttlestones' Fine Art & Antique Sale takes place on March 4.

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www.paulfrasercollectibles.com

Images: Cuttlestones