Number plates - A good investment?

[johnte]

A long story, but when my Dad passed away last year he left me some money for my children (or buy them something) now rather than put it in the bank I thought I would try and buy something that might appreciate in value as my children are too young to have the money at the moment (and when they're old enough it will be worth a lot less than it is at the moment) Now, when browsing eBay, as you do.. I came across a number that spells my daughters name exactly (with no doctoring, miss spacing or adjusting)  The question is......

Do we think plates hold there value, or maybe even go up..  :-k

[Yoshi]

Even if it doesnt hold its value its the kind of gift and memory that is priceless.

[dxmedia]

Plates are only worth what someone is willing to pay (can be said for anything). There's a lot of people selling cars claiming that a single letter a single number and three letters

eg

a 1 bcd

is a personalised plate that's been valued at £700 - it's not, it's just the first number of that batch.

Also claims of 4 letters and 3 numbers being personalised plates, nope again, NI plates.

<actual> personalised plates can be had from the DVLA for £250 upwards, the same plates can be found on retention sites for triple the money.

IMO - and it's just MO, plates are great for de-aging a vehicle, but for making money, go with an ISA or speak to a financial advisor. May be you can make that money work hard enough to get your daughter through uni?

[JumboBeef]

I have two 3x3 plates (which for me are a good investment, because they both cost me nowt!) and I love them.

Generally though, I would agree that something borning like an ISA would perform better, but on the other hand a nice plate would be something very nice for your daughter to remember her Granddad by.

[muddyjames]

My plate didnt cost me anything as it came off my previous car but it is nice to have a memory of my Dad where ever I go. My previous car was my first car and was previously my dads and I do miss that car! Cuningly it makes my car look younger (people think the L507 is LS 07 and ask if it is an 07 reg which even tricked my local garage when taking it i for an mot (I didnt plan for it to do this)) and the JJB at the end is pure chance too that my dads name was John and my name is James Butler making it John and James Butler!

Moral is, that even if it goes up, down sideways it will be something that your kids will have that will last a very long time and a memory that can go everywhere with them.

[winchman]

Even if it doesnt hold its value its the kind of gift and memory that is priceless.

I agree, when I bought Winchwomans I could have had 3 plates all the same but with her and the kids initials, but I just couldnt afford it at the time, dont forget that you pay £80 a year fee if its not on a vehicle
My Vit came witha VET  plate, been offered £100 by a site thats advertising it for £1000.
We have 3, all nice to have but not a good investment
If its a couple of hundred I would get it for her.

[Epicyclic]

Not sure how old you little ones are but will we still have number plates when they are old enough to understand what its about - in fact will we still have "vehicles" as we know them now?
The other thing is you don't own a plate outright, basically it's reserved for you if I remember correctly, you pay for the pleasure for having it.  Look into this before you buy.
We have one on our Disco, but no way is it an investment, and I'd like one for the 90 but they are getting to be silly money now unless you are very lucky 'cause Joe Public think they are worth money!
What would your Dad have bought for them?
What ever you do, I hope it works out OK - you can only do what you think is right at the time....

[johnte]

Thanks for all the comments, given me something to think about...  :-k

I realise something like an ISA is the sensible thing to do (but I'm not sure if I want to be sensible)

[winchman]

I would take them here
http://thattoheathmountainrescue.piczo.com/florida?cr=7&vsrc=search_google&linkvar=000044
They will remember it for the rest of there lives

[JumboBeef]

dont forget that you pay £80 a year fee if its not on a vehicle

It's £25 per year.

[karlo]

dont forget that you pay £80 a year fee if its not on a vehicle

It's £25 per year.

Yep, £80 is the transfer fee, if you keep it on retention its £25 a year, to put a plate on retention costs £80 + £25 =£105 but that includes the £80 for if or when you decide to put the number on a vehicle.

[winchman]

dont forget that you pay £80 a year fee if its not on a vehicle

It's £25 per year.

Oh I stand corrected, wonder where I got £80 from?

[robkav]

They can be a pain in rear, as my daily has one on which was a presant about five years ago but its failed its mot and i've lost the V5 so i have to go to birmingham and pay £105 to keep it on cert. If your lucky enough to change motors alot i think thier more hassle than there worth.

[barnhill4x4]

My disco has a plate worth about a grand on it. The car has been sat in a garage for the last 3 years, I want to get rid of the car but the plate is worth far more. Now I have to MOT and Tax it before I can transfer the plate. Its a pain!

[Range Rover Blues]

I had a Capri with C***FOX on it, it was valued at £400 but I couldn't give it away.  Like many things there might be people making money at it, but don't buy it to make money, if you enjoy owning it then fine, you might get your money back (though I don't plan on selling my private plate anyway).

"The value of investments can go down as well as up".

[JumboBeef]

My disco has a plate worth about a grand on it. The car has been sat in a garage for the last 3 years, I want to get rid of the car but the plate is worth far more. Now I have to MOT and Tax it before I can transfer the plate. Its a pain!

What is the plate: it might not be worth it!

[jono36]

Plates are only worth what someone is willing to pay (can be said for anything). There's a lot of people selling cars claiming that a single letter a single number and three letters

eg

a 1 bcd

is a personalised plate that's been valued at £700 - it's not, it's just the first number of that batch.

Also claims of 4 letters and 3 numbers being personalised plates, nope again, NI plates.

<actual> personalised plates can be had from the DVLA for £250 upwards, the same plates can be found on retention sites for triple the money.

IMO - and it's just MO, plates are great for de-aging a vehicle, but for making money, go with an ISA or speak to a financial advisor. May be you can make that money work hard enough to get your daughter through uni?

You are right in what you are saying but at the same time wrong. Any number plate can be a personalised reg as you can take any number plate of any car and transfer it to another as long as the car age of the car allows i.e. you can't put a number plate on a car that makes it look newrer than it actually is.