Email #4: Sent April 6^th, 2009 to All Members & Subscribers

The Convention is proceeding apace. We are getting closer and closer to the event and the response thus far has been very exciting. Despite the obvious economic challenges, many of you are planning to join us for what we know will be a great educational and entertaining time, as well as perhaps the opportunity to find that special piece to augment your collection.

Remember that the deadline for registration discounts has been extended to April 15. We encourage you to take timely advantage of the discount and ask that, for the Society's benefit as well as yours, you make hotel reservations at the New York Palace Hotel.  If you have misplaced the registration form, simply go to our website at www.netsuke.org and print the form available under the “Convention” tab.

Please also call the New York Palace Hotel at (212) 888-7000 and make your reservations. We hope that you will stay at the Palace Hotel, Each night you spend there reduces our potential guaranty to the Hotel. If another hotel promises rates a few dollars lower (although it is unlikely that you will find a similar quality hotel in the area at this amazing price of $300 per night), please persuade yourself that the taxicabs you will take back and forth from the Convention hotel will amount to as much as the difference in the room rates.

Lastly, we are asking that you consider permitting us to exhibit at the Convention, netsuke by our honoree, Ryushi Komada. You may do so anonymously as well as acknowledged. Please contact me at hakutaku@aol.com to make arrangements. We will have quite a few but would like many more, whether or not you plan to attend. We have also decided to see if we can put together in one place, as many of the very rare hakutakus in the world and we ask that you consider permitting these to be exhibited too.

Thank you. We are really looking forward to seeing you in July.

All the best. Michael J. Strone, Convention Chair
Norman L. Sandfield, Constant Contact Coordinator