The First Annual
Staffordshire Figure Association Conference, 2004

Please join us starting Tuesday, June 15 through Friday, June 18 for the First Annual SFA Conference, 2004. It will be a wonderful opportunity for Staffordshire figure enthusiasts to come together for fun, education, buying and selling.

The Central Conference Day will be on Wednesday, June 16th 2004 and held at the Inn at Lambertville Station, Lambertville, New Jersey across the river from New Hope, Pennsylvania, halfway between New York & Washington, within easy distance of both Newark and Philadelphia Airports. The following day we will be hosting a Staffordshire Figure “Show & Sale” across the river in New Hope. The delightful towns of Lambertville and New Hope are packed with interesting shops (including many Antique Shops), and restaurants.

Please join us as SFA Members and at the SFA Conference! We look forward to your ideas, and your support at this first major event. Conference attendance will be limited to Staffordshire Figure Association Members. The SFA Conference 2004 is a non-profit event and conference fees are structured solely to cover actual costs.

Where:
Inn at Lambertville Station & Lambertonville Station Restaurant, Lambertonville, New Jersey; New Hope Firehouse, New Hope, Pennsylvania; and private homes in Philadelphia.

When:
June 15-18, 2004. Registration Deadline: May 20, 2004. See below for the full Conference Schedule.

Cost:
$155.00 per person* which includes:

• Welcoming Dinner and Collectors Panel Discussion, June 15th
• Admission to Conference Lectures
• Morning Coffee **
• Lunch at Meeting
• Afternoon Snack
• Dinner at the Restaurant
• Admission to the Private Sale Wednesday at The Firehouse***
• Admission to Thursday House Tours
• Admission to Friday House Tour
• Hotel Accomodations are NOT included. See below to make reservations.

To Register for the First Annual SFA Conference, 2004 Click Here.
For more on the Staffordshire Figure Association and how to join Click Here.
For Highlights of last year’s less elaborate meeting events Click Here.

Hotel Accomodations: The Inn at Lambertville Station has reserved all of their 45 rooms for the SFA for Tuesday & Wednesday, June 15th & 16th, with an option for an extra night. The hotel has 45 rooms, which individual members can book on a “first come, first served” basis. Reserve the dates and your room(s) at the Inn at Lambertville Station NOW. Call 1-800-524-1091, ask for Louise, and say that you are with the Staffordshire Figure Association block of rooms.

Standard Room: $95 per night, 1 Queen Bed
Deluxe Room: $100 per night, 1 or 2 Queen Beds
Suite: $145 per night, 1 King or 1 Queen with Sitting Area

For additional information contact: Arnold Berlin, email: SFA@staffordshire.org; Ivan Mears and David Boyer, U.K. Telephone: 01144 - 1525-261606, email: dboyer@netcomuk.co.uk or by checking back at www.staffordshire.org

SFA Conference 2004 Schedule

Tuesday June 15th

At 6:30 PM, we will have a get together with a cash bar and welcome dinner at the Lambertville Station Restaurant, a delightful, attractive venue next to the Inn.. At dinner there will be a panel discussion featuring several collectors who will discuss their collections; show slides; explain how they got started collecting; and their collecting and buying philosophies

Wednesday June 16th—The Central Conference Day

The conference will be held in the hotel in a large bright meeting room. Scheduled are the following lectures and panel discussions:

Lecture by Malcolm & Judith Hodkinson, authors of the book on Obadiah Sherratt who will speak on “Early 19th Century Bocage Figures”.  

A talk and slide presentation by, Stephen Duckworth a collector of religious figures who will discuss his field of interest.

A talk by David Boyer who will discuss some aspects of the trade and Staffordshire collecting along with his views of the internet’s effect on dealers and the antique business.

An Author's Panel featuring Nick Harding, Adele Kenny, Veronica Moriarty, and possibly others who will discuss their books about Staffordshire pottery.

A Fake and Reproduction Forum will be led by Elinor Penna. There will also be an appraisal and valuation talk with Ivan Mears. Attendees are encouraged to bring in pieces for evaluation, appraisal and general discussion.

Lunch will break up the day and time will be set aside for a meeting when members can elect officers, discuss ideas for future dates & venues, and ideas to advance the Association.

An excellent dinner with several menu choices including a signature lamb chop entrée will be served at the Lambertville Station Restaurant at 7:30 PM. The cash bar will open at 7:00 PM.

Thursday June 17th

An "Antique Show" arranged by local antique dealers, Virginia & Oz Freedgood, with both dealers & collectors able to exhibit and sell to SFA members. The location is 5 minutes from the Inn, across the river in New Hope, at a regular Antique Show venue, the "New Hope Fire Station."

Home visits Thursday afternoon to two of our Philadelphia members, Susan Bishop and Sheila Ferguson, who have graciously invited the group to visit their homes and view their excellent Staffordshire collections.

Thursday evening is free.

Friday June 18th

A home visit on Friday to Carroll Barnes, a Philadelphia dealer and major collector, who has invited attendees to visit his home by appointment. Carroll’s home is tiny and every inch is covered by Staffordshire figures, so attendance must be by appointment as only a few people can be accommodated at a time.

This is the official end of the Conference, however, both Arnold and Barbara Berlin and Elinor Penna have agreed to open their homes over the weekend to anyone travelling to or through Washington DC or Garden City, New York. We would be pleased to announce at the Conference any other invitations from members to the group.

Please feel free to contact Arnold Berlin, President, Staffordshire Figure Association, with any suggestions for the conference at: sfa@staffordshire.org