The 16th International Fountain Pen Collectors' Meeting was held on Saturday 27 March 2004 in the clubhouse of the Ruder- und Tennisclub Germania in Cologne; it was organised by Stefan Wallrafen. Admission was arranged in two stages: from 10 a.m. the professional collectors gathered first, while the general collecting public was not admitted until 1 p.m. By that time a long queue had already formed in front of the entrance, and in the hall it was barely possible to move about freely.
Proceedings ended early. Around two hours after the afternoon opening the first sellers cleared their tables, and by 4 p.m. the last collectors had packed up as well. Only then was there time for more extensive conversations with the exhibitors. The meeting is international in character: cars from the Netherlands and Belgium stood in the car park, and Swiss, English, American and Chinese visitors met in the adjoining restaurant. Anyone wishing to view the pieces at leisure should allow for the fact that the crowds are at their greatest in the early afternoon.