OK, I guess I'll jump in here, for what it's worth!:biggrin:
First, I'm not sure what your plans are due to the statement "start playing with Polymer Clay.' You can play with the stuff by just buying 1 or 2 colors. The depth to which you take it is limited only by one's imagination.
You can buy canes from lots of sources but you will probably not be able to buy them from a typical vendor, like you would buy the clay. It would be difficult if not impossible to exactly duplicate a cane because of all the variables so they are not attractive to repeat sales of the same item.
I bought an inexpensive clay roller machine and a $50 oven. That and some small tools got me started. What I guess I'm saying is that you can make your own canes if that is part of your interest.
Keep in mind that it takes some time to learn the ways the clay reacts to what you do to it. Many get discouraged easily. Fortunately I don't and continue to learn, mostly by trial and error.
Review lots of online tutorials and try some of the simple techniques and also some of the more complicated ones. Personally, I learn more from the tough stuff than from the easy, but that's me.
Just jump in and above all, don't be afraid to try something and remember that you WILL throw away some clay!