Joanne Aldrich, of Michigan, looks over some of the pottery items available to be purchased through auction at the Annual Hall Pottery/China Convention held in East Liverpool April 14-15. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)

EAST LIVERPOOL –Collectors of Hall China gathered in East Liverpool on April 14-15 where for the first time in its history the 21st Hall China Collectors Group convention was held.

The event held mainly at the East Liverpool Community and Learning Center, featured opportunities for collectors to view, buy or sell pottery/china along with the opportunity to learn a little about the pottery and some of the history of pottery in East Liverpool. Convention attendees were even able to take a tour of the Fiesta Tableware Company.

The convention had a total of 79 attendees throughout the weekend.

On Saturday approximately 60 people from all over the country gathered for an auction of about 75 Hall China products –some common some rare –auctioned off by auctioneer Neil Webster.

Among the attendees were Julie Thompson Gorman, of Connecticut; Scott Wykoff, of Maryland; and Mary Martha Koos, of East Liverpool; who are cousins and descendants of the Thompson Family who ran the Hall China company for some time. While their parents played a big part in the annual conventions, this convention was the first time for the three cousins to attend one.

They agreed one of their favorite parts of attending the convention was meeting all the people who knew their late parents and hearing the stories they had to share of them.

Joanne Aldrich of Michigan who was excited to be at the convention since it’s the first one held since the COVID-19 pandemic. She has attended every convention since the first one which was held in Saginaw Mich.

When asked if she was looking for anything specific at the auction she replied, “no, she loves it all.”