Marty McClain says his family-owned business has been around for 30 years and, if he has his way, will continue for another 30.

It was almost a normal Saturday at McClain Auctions in downtown Honolulu yesterday for an auction of several hundred lots of Hawaiiana from NCL ships that have been moved from Hawaii to other markets.

It was Marty’s first appearance in several months and he had an explanation for those who didn’t know the reason behind his recent absence.

“Cancer’s been trying to kick my butt,” he said, then added, “but I’m kicking back.”

McClain got the cancer diagnosis after collapsing at the start of an auction at the Aloha Airlines executive offices back in June. At first doctors thought he was suffering from exhaustion, a lingering flu, or perhaps pneumonia. Then came the grim findings.

But Marty’s been battling back, defying the most dire medical predictions. He acknowledged having good days and bad days. Yesterday was a good one, and seeing him at work and in control again was a great treat.

And Marty’s wife, Wendy, who usually operates behind the scenes, took over the action for a while to give him a needed rest. It was her first time handling the bidding, and she drew applause from the appreciative audience. Among the items she sold was a Niihau shell lei that went for something like $7,000, which might have been the high point of the day.

When Marty returned, he told us that the family business will continue on, I think he used the words “when I’m gone”. At least that was the message.

And he said they’ve got a number of upcoming auctions in the planning stage.

We knew Marty years before we started going to the auctions, and we’ve been friends and auction regulars at least since the early 1990s. Hearing his voice as the bidding started yesterday made the world seem right.