The private number plate industry isn’t entirely based on spelling your name. There’s an entire collector sphere and these individuals know what they’re looking for. Some formats sell like crazy while others sit around forever and understanding the appeal behind the access makes a huge difference for any buyer looking for plates to be in it for the long haul.
What Is The Most Desired Format?
Ask a million different collectors what they want most and dateless registrations will come up every single time. These are registrations without any year marker on them—essentially letters and numbers in an open format. This could include one or two letters and then up to four numbers—sometimes, however, it’s the other way.
They are sought after because they work on anything. Slap a dateless plate on a new vehicle, it works. Slap one on a vehicle from the 1960s, it works too. There’s no year marker that flags when the vehicle was constructed or makes for an awkward pairing.
Furthermore, these plates are ancient. They come from before the new system came into play and therefore, have a history to them. And better yet, they’re not making any more. With a limited supply, people remain interested and valued because once they’re gone, they’re gone forever.
The Shorter, The Better
Length matters in the registration world. The least amount of characters, the most people want it. As such, single letters and single digits are the best of the best, but even slightly longer lengths have value.
Anything two or three characters long is where it’s at. It’s clean, can be seen from a distance and appears special without being gaudy or obnoxious. The psychology of reading a short registration plate passes through the mind because it’s memorable even for people who don’t care about plates.
The problem is there aren’t many. Simple arithmetic—there’s only so many combinations with so few characters. If you investigate the UK’s Most expensive Private Number Plates, you’ll see what collectors are willing to shell out for these limited registrations. People are interested in short formats.
What About Prefix and Suffix Formats?
Before the new system came into play, prefix and suffix plates were the talking point of the day. Prefix means the year letter is in the front of the registration, suffix places it at the end. Both styles have their value among serious collectors.
They’re a middle tier. Not as historical as dateless plates, but not as contemporary as the new one’s we’ve got now. Instead, the year letter becomes part of the registration that works instead of just dating it. Many collectors go after years that mean something to them—their own birth year, their wedding year—whatever was important in time.
Also, these years supported better letter combinations because people weren’t as strict back in the day. There was more of a chance to create something that actually spelled out something or worked as initials, thus this is what happens when people go after meaningful plates and end up with prefix/suffix styles.
The New Format Generates Less Interest
The new system, however, generated in 2001 isn’t worth getting excited about for collectors. But even inside this framework, certain combinations generate interest. Two regional letters, two numbers and three random letters at the end. Millions exist but some clearly stand out.
Low numbers work even within this level. Low plates or repeating numbers garner more value than totally random. Even regional codes matter somewhat but that has to do with associated geographical importance more than anything.
The positive of these new formatted plates is you can find them, they won’t break the bank and for someone just entering the collecting field—or for someone who just wants something slightly different without spending huge—they’re great options. They probably won’t turn value over time but they get the job done and look good on newer vehicles.
The Numbers Matter More Than You Think
The actual numbers on the plates matter more than people think. Low single numbers are always premium no matter what format it concerns. A plate that says 1, or 2, or 3 gets far more interest than 8,472. Lower numbers show earlier issuing dates and more people are interested in them.
Repeating numbers pique interest as well. An “AA 111” or “333 X” holds more interest visually. Symmetry can be memorized. Sequential numbers work the same. “123” or “456” makes sense because they’re contiguous.
And then there’s personal interest. Years, lucky numbers, anniversary dates make interest to a plate buyer niche little value. Not necessarily across-the-board collector value for every one but a wider market for certain combinations since more people have interests therein.
How Old It Is Matters (Sometimes)
Old by itself doesn’t matter but in conjunction with demand and plate type, age goes far. Since these are historical from the olden times of the new system, they hold historical value. They’re from the first pass of registration which resonates better with collectors who value automotive history.
Physical value doesn’t matter as much since you’re only purchasing the rights to a combination and not an object to physically behold. However, clear paperwork and easy transfer history goes a long way. If it’s messily connected to a previous owner, a buyer passes despite an appealing combination due to unclear connections.
What People Are Actually Searching For
Markets change over time but slowly. Certain frequencies become popular once people become familiar with what’s available or gets tight. Dateless plates have remained popular through the decades but very popular prefix years or which regional codes garner love can change.
People who are serious about collecting often operate in sets or specific types. Someone might be trying to collect an A collection of every registration starting with A or all from a specific year. When one understands this projection, it’s clear why certain randomly ignored plates become valued when people are bidding against them.
It’s largely important to remember that plate value lies just as much in the format as it does what it says. You could spell out a witty word on a modern plate but it wouldn’t generate any collector interest. However a short, dateless plate that doesn’t specifically spell something would get collector interest. Understanding the formats that matter to collectors will help any potential buyer understand what’s worth going after.
