Introduction to Collecting (continued)

A dealer plate

A trailer plate

A special-issue plate

A vanity plate

Another classification of license plates is non-passenger plates. These are generally those plates which are not general-issue to private cars. Included in this are Truck, Trailer, Dealer, and Temporary plates.

Most states issue numerous classifications of non-passenger plates. Many of these types, such as truck and trailer, are very easy to come by. Other types, such as Connecticut's 'Exp. Test' and California's 'Remanufacturer' plates are not so easy to get.

Special Passenger and Non-Passenger Plates

Included in this are plates which are generally not issued to everyday people. These plates include Police, government, and political plates. These can be fairly easy to obtain for some states, although many are much more difficult to find.

Special-Issue Plates

These plates are extra-cost plates issued by most states. Some benefit environmental programs, some benefit various organizations, and some benefit other special causes.

Vanity Plates

Known also as personalized or prestige plates, these are the customized plates you can obtain for your car with your personal message on it. These are fairly easy to add to your collection, and chances are that eventually you will even find one with your name or initials on it.

Common Terms

Base- used to describe a plate which may be renewed by stickers for multiple years.
Colors - generally the colors of the plate are described by 'foreground color' on 'background color'. E.g. if a plate has black numbers on a white background, it would be referred to as 'black on white'.
Decal or sticker - small sticker applied to plates to indicate the month and/or year or expiration.
Graphic plates - those with reflective sheeting screened with pictures or text used as the background of of the plate.
M/C - an abbreviation of the word "motorcycle".
Retouch - a small paint job to cover up a small area of missing paint.
Seals - older plates can have metal badges attached to them, E.g. early Pennsylvania plates. Also refers to stamps and/or identifying designs or logos on foreign plates, typically from Europe.
Tabs - these are small pieces of metal atteched to license plates to indicate the year of expiration. Most states stopped using metal tabs in the early 60's, in favor of cheaper and easier to apply decals.

What to Collect?

An important thing to do when starting a collection is to decide what you're going to concentrate your collection on. Some collectors concentrate on their home state, others on certain years or types.

• If you are Native American, try collecting Native American plates!
• If you drive a truck, how about truck, pro-rate and apportioned plates?
• If you ride a m/c, then how about m/c plates.
• A car buff? Try Antique Auto plates.
• A HAM radio operator? Wouldn't it be fun to get a HAM plate from every state and province.
• How about collecting plates from every place you have visited?

License Plate Runs

Many collectors aim to complete at least one 'run' in their collection. There are three major types of runs- state runs, year runs and type runs.

• A state run is a collection consisting of one plate from each year from a particular state.
• A year run is having a plate from each state and/or province from a particular year. Many collectors will try to complete a run of plates from the year they were born, others will concentrate on other years, such as the 1976, the year of the US bicentennial.
• Type runs are also common. Some collectors will try to get a dealer or apportioned plate from every state.

These are no rules as to which types you can use to collect a type run. Choose one that's of particular interest to you and you will enjoy it even more.

Finding License Plates

These are many places to find license plates. Most states will sell you a 'sample' plate for a small fee. These are plates which are created for display purposes only, and cannot be used on a motor vehicle.

Other places to find plates are ALPCA regional conventions, flea markets, ads in license plate publications such as the ALPCA newsletter, and antique shops.

Plates are most plentiful at conventions and in newsletter ads, and are typically offered at a fair price.

Flea markets can be excellent places to find inexpensive plates, but beware of those who believe that their plates are gold plated. There are many bargains to be found at flea markets, but there are also many highly-inflated prices. Shop smart, and don't pay more than you believe a plate is worth.

Antique shops can be excellent soucres of plates, especially older ones. Don't expect to find spectacular bargains, but many shops are willing to negotiate prices. Generally you can buy plates here for book value, if not slightly less.

Stopping by a local junkyard or a rural dump is always a good place to start. Some collectors regularly visit auto scapyards to gather new acquisitions. Some of the luckier collectors may be able to get used plates directly from their local DMV office-- but plates are tightly regulated in some places, so don't hold your breath.

One of the best things to do is to look up the address of a local plate collector-- they're usually quite eager to "talk plates" with people, and they may just make you a few deals.