Due to recent trends in movies featuring the sea, antique dealers are experiencing a surge in the demand for maritime antiques. Navigational instruments, whaling paraphernalia like harpoons and knives, and Nantucket baskets woven by ship crewmembers in the 1800s are just some of the items being requested by buyers from all over the world.

Southeastern New England (especially the Cape Cod area) boasts the largest selection of maritime antiques in the United States. However, port areas in southern China and Taiwan also have shops full of antique maritime collectables due to shipwrecks over the last few hundred years. Antiques can be large or small, including items like captain's wheels, scientific and navigational instruments, furniture, ship models and blue and white Chinese porcelain.

Hand-carved pieces are very popular, especially those made by sailors while out at sea--these include hand-carved scrimshaw pieces, 'sailor's valentines' created using sea shells from exotic locales, and baskets woven for both craft and use. Because there are only so many of these items to go around, good quality pieces are getting harder to find. Prices are also rising.

You can expect to pay anywhere from $15,000 to $28,000 for a sailor's valentine. In addition, a whale's tooth scrimshaw will run you up to $7,500 or more, with the world-record price at $102,000. A more affordable option would be a Victorian shell-work souvenir piece. These typically date back to the late 1800s and can cost as little as $300. Or, try bodkins (small pointed tools for putting holes in fabric) or coins and silver spoons--these are typically under $50 in price and can date back several centuries.