I have been considering car number plates for some time, and have noticed some of the four (4) digit number plates have not been selling as well as, say two (2) years ago. However, they still tend to be in the $10-20,000 range with some asking more for the '3's and '8's combinations. Whilst I realise that in a true SHTF event, they will be rendered essentially worthless, is there potential for capital growth over the next few years as money flows out of the share market/real estate/banks etc and into alternatives? To clarify, I am interested in numeral number plates only, and not the vanity types. Any opinions?
3-4 digit plates are down 40% Will they come back up ? I'm not prepared to make that call I'll sell you my thoroughbred country 7888 for $800 That way you get some digits on your car & not spending crazy $
My grandparents had nsw plate number 575. the 3 grandkids sold it in 2008 or 2009 for $60K. There are websites that broker the sales. to me, the plates are just an ego trip. big bucks for a piece of enameled metal.
I look on these, among several other things, as what I would call "Extreme Luxury" items. Let me explain. A luxury item might be a leather recliner for your lounge room - there are cheaper, functionally (from the point of view of sitting down in the loungeroom) similar items that are considerably cheaper. On the other hand, an extreme luxury item (as I term it) is something that costs money and provides no actual functional difference than an alternative, cheaper item. Car number plates, artworks and so on fall into this category. Are they worthless? One could in fact make a case that they are based on technicalities, but value is in the eye of the beholder, so, to someone, somewhere, they DO have a value. The inherent risk with items like this is that they are quite likely to be the items that are most affected by economic sentiment, outside of the circle of the few people who have so much money that it truly is of no object. As a result, in times when economic sentiment isn't bouyant, this to me represents the riskiest possible "market" to be involved in. On the basis of the above, in my opinion, it would be a brave person indeed who was prepared to "invest" into something like this in the economic circumstances in which we find ourselves today.
I had IAMSAM number plates for a few years, had some offers but in the end I handed them back when I swapped cars. Perhaps city car spots or burial plots are a better investment?
I think them a waste of money and a bit too convenient to remember (for those of us who are uber paranoid). I often get a giggle though from poseurs who replace e with a 3 and other such message garbling swaps. 3MSCAR for instance, though it does entertain me at the lights sometime trying to figure out exactly what the plate is supposed to mean. Someone told me they spotted IDV84U - but it might have been a line.
Ran a few combo's on VIC Plates. TESLA - Gone obviously TESLA 1 - Gone T3SLA - Gone TE5LA - Gone T35LA - Gone ALSET - Gone ALSET 1 - Available TESLAB - Available and looks pretty cool. Check your State, could be a beer in it in a couple of years.
I have a personalised one that I got when I was younger and dumber than I am now. Should be worth a bit to a certain group as well as it is the name of that vehicle. Having said that I do know someone who tried to get their name, CLINT but it was rejected, it was not until you see it at a distance that you understand why