Club of Anchor Friends


There are almost 260 members in Club of Anchor Friends (Club van Ankervrienden, CVA), including 36Americans.  We lost four American members at the end of last year.  But, still, the CVA is growing rapidly, as is attendance at the meeting.  The last meeting had more than 90 attendees.  Membership is growing rapidly, and the CVA is now a 'majority German speaking' club.  Also noteworthy is our first South American member -- from Chile.  (We lost our Canadian member.)

The CVA publishes a Newsletter (Mededelingenblad, MLB) four times a year.  Although the MLB articles are written in the language of the author (Dutch, German, English -- we would welcome one in French) full English and German translations are available at no extra cost, except for postage for the one in German.  The MLB always includes a "Buy and Sell" column.  

The 2003 dues are in euro, .  I have been advised that not all software displays the euro sign.  Ebay has chosen the use EUR as an alternate.  Perhaps I may have to use this solution also.  The 2003 dues are € 40.85 (Dutch), € 43.15 (other European countries), € 49.95 (For all Americans, North and South, US$60; the US$ has declined about 30% since last year.) and € 56.75 (elsewhere) -- no change from the 2002 dues.  The reason for these odd numbers is that the Dutch government insisted that prices not be raised at the same time as the conversion to the euro.  Unfortunately Germany did not follow this example.  (Well, neither did the French, but I am not surprised by that.)  New members are always welcome.  I am most gratified to note that the Internet has been getting new members for the CVA at the rate of about one per month.

The CVA holds its meetings twice a year, usually on the third or fourth Saturday of April and October.  The last meeting was on Saturday October 25, 2003.  The date of the next meeting will be on Saturday, April 24, 2004.  The location of the meeting is the Hotel Lapershoek in Hilversum, Netherlands.  This location is working out quite well.  The last several meetings have had record attendance (it seems to hold steady at 1/3rd of the total membership, though the last meeting had a few more), and there have been some auctions of very fine Anchor sets, stones and documentation.  We know that there was a great auction in April.  While visitors are welcome, they are not permitted to bid on auction items.  

The CVA also puts on exhibitions of Anchor products, including large Anchor block buildings.  CVA members build the display models over the week preceding the opening.  

The CVA has an Archive, which includes more than 2,000 original documents.  Copies are available at no cost, other than copying cost (b/w is usually free) and postage.  Color copies are available, but at very high European costs (about $2 per page).  The computer age is coming to the Archive.  A CD-ROM project has been started.  A3 (11×17) scanners and color printers are now available in the USA and Europe, as are CD-ROM burners.  Ten CD-ROMs are now available: they contain GK-NF building, layer and packing plans; KK building, layer and packing plans; plus plans for many other sets.  Eventually CD-ROMS will be available with all of the Anchor plans, packing plans, old MLBs, etc.  CD-ROMs are cheap.  

The CVA has published its Stone Catalog, which covers all of the stone shapes Richter made, plus shapes made by other innovators.  Metal parts and most other accessories are included in the catalog.  The contents of the sets are also listed.   More were been printed as the next revision will not be completed until late this year or next year (no, I did not forget to change these words).  The CVA will have to print even more, as the membership of the CVA is growing rapidly.  Updates for old catalogs will be available.  These catalogs are in a loose-leaf format, so adding the updates is very easy.  Most of the changes relate to the stones in the various sets and newly created stone shapes.  All Anchor people need, and will want, a copy.   Owners of earlier copies of the CVA Stone Catalog should contact me.  I still have some of the replacement pages for the catalogs already sold.  These replacement pages are free.  But the new set of replacement pages will cost something.

People interested in more information on the CVA can e-mail me, in the USA, write or e-mail the CVA's Secretary: Leo Coffeng, Blauwedijk 2, NL-7218 BK Almen, Netherlands; 0575-431542.  Of course, Leo is fluent in German, French and English, as well as his native Dutch.   

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