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WORLD MARKETPLACE NEWS with Managing Editor Judy Gonyeau

NANTUCKET ISLAND – A ARAB NEWS – U.S. pop star Demi Lovato faced criticism this week
massive fire broke out at the 17th for sharing videos of Egyptian artifacts that she bought, but which
century Veranda House Hotel in experts now say may be fakes. In the now-expired clips on her
downtown Nantucket on Saturday, Instagram stories, Lovato told her fans: “These are ancient Egyptian
July 9 shortly before 7 a.m. The artifacts. Some of these pieces are literally thousands of years old.”
damage was extensive to the Hotel An art crime professor in
and other surrounding buildings, New York, Erin Thompson,
resulting in several total losses. said on Twitter that the music
There were no fatalities due to the fire, sensation “is showing off
but the cause is “improperly disposed smoking materials,” getting extremely bad fake
according to State and Local authorities. The oldest buildings within Egyptian and Ancient Near
the historic district date from the late 17th century. The Nantucket Eastern antiquities. … These
Historical Association notes that the Veranda House Hotel was are not so much ‘cuneiform
purchased in 1881 and converted into a boarding house, with tablets’ as ‘pre-gnawed dog biscuits.’ Also, you’d better hope they’re
electric lights added in 1889 and a new porch installed in 1903. The fakes – genuine tablets like this have frequently been looted from
building was always referred to as the “Veranda House” due to the Iraq, including to support insurgent groups like ISIS.”
three spacious verandas on each of the three sides of the building.
According to the MA State Fire Marshal, smoking materials, like
cigarette butts, “are the leading cause of fatal fires.” NETHERLANDS – As thousands of farmers in the Netherlands
protest the government’s plans to slash emissions that livestock
produce in their waste, some old and out-of-context footage is
TECHNAVE – Apple is set to add nine devices to its “vintage” list circulating on social media with false claims that it shows the
at the end of this July, marking five years since the company last dis- current demonstrations. A video
tributed them for sale. These include popular devices such as the first Actual Protest of an refurbished antique tank
MacBook Pro series with Touch Bar, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro as well being returned to a warehouse is
as the 27-inch iMac. Being added into the vintage list pretty much spreading on Twitter with false
spells the end of the devices’ official first-hand availability and claims. “So, uh.... Dutch farmers
repairability support by Apple. However, starting from the have purchased a tank to use to
second half of 2018, Apple vintage products can still be block distribution centres,” read a
repaired by Apple Stores and Apple Authorized tweet with the video shared more
Service Providers should the devices be on the than 13,000 times. “Farmers in the #Netherlands have just purchased
vintage list for less than 24 months and if they a British tank from Russian arms dealers – to use against Dutch police,”
are spare parts available. Hence, if you’re an another tweet read. Yet a closer look at the video shows the vehicle
owner of any of these devices and have is actually a restored vintage tank. The numbers printed on the
issues with them, you may have to look tank match those of a restored WWII Sherman Firefly tank that was
into third-party repair services to get featured in an advertisement for a June 2022 “Tankfest” event.
them fixed. That is quite a bummer as
most of these devices are still working
fine for most users. ARTDAILY – As Paris was hosting Fashion Week, Bonhams
Cornette de Saint Cyr auctioned the “Quidam de Revel Collection”
on Thursday, July 7. A number of museums were successful in
DESERT SUN – From the article acquiring pieces in this sale with pre-emptions from the Musée Galliera:
“Antiques: Mid-year musings on a maroon day dress, a prototype from the Spring-Summer 1951
the antiques trade” comes the fol- Collection (est.: $1,500-$2,000) was sold for $5,200, a long black jer-
lowing observations. The antiques sey evening gown from the late
business has been remarkably buoy- 1940s, est. $1,200-$1,500, went for
ant during these COVID years. It’s $5,200 and a two-tone white and
the nature of this space that makes it black jersey evening cape-toga from
relatively unaffected by supply chain the late 1940s was sold for $7,800
interruptions and rising inventory prices. It's all existing stock, (est.: $1,500-$2,000). The top lot was
independent of production delays in China or dockyard staffing short- an elegant cream jersey evening gown
ages. As a result, overall pricing is little changed as well. You might – a prototype of the Collection Haute
be paying a lot more for those two little pieces of salmon or jar of grape Couture show, circa 1950, that
jelly, but prices of vintage merchandise have remained fairly stable. achieved $15,600 (est.: $2,000-$3,000). More than 120 pieces were
Nearly all of what a new household needs can be found in an sold for a total of $277,703, more than twice the low estimate.
antique store. If you need it right now, antique shops may well have
it ready to go.
HULLLIVE – An angry Beverley, UK restaurant
owner has vented his frustrations after several
COLLIDER.COM – The Mighty Thor's antique port glasses appear to have been stolen by
Hammer Drink Vessel is available now after diners. James Allcock, owner of The Pig and Whistle,
the theatrical release of Taika Waititi's second called out the culprits on social media after he
Thor film, fourth in the franchise, Thor: Love viewed the glasses being smuggled out of the restaurant
and Thunder. The Vessel is available at by the guests. James rang the lead guest to give them
Disneyland for $25.99 and includes a bottle of the benefit of the doubt of not knowing about the
the Coca-Cola drink of your choice. The top of stolen glassware but was met with fury. The lead
the hammer opens up and the bottle is placed guest then “tripped up” and eventually agreed to bring
into a cooling holder within the block. them back. However, James has now said the police will be informed
and the diners will be permanently blacklisted from the bistro.
6 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles