Anyone dealing in personal number plates?

[wb]

As the personalised plate market is not too dissimilar to domains, just wondered if anyone on here trades in the cherished plate market?

Wouldn't mind investing in a decent dateless one. Checked out the big dealers and DVLA auction lists but if anyone has any other recommendations let me know too

Cheers

[mat]

Keep your eye on ebay, thats the only place you will get a bargain really!

[brum]

My Cusion does , he buys from the dvlc auctions 6k plus plates others are not really sort after ???

Also worth buying cars with number plates sometimes plate is worth more than car people don't realise

Think domains have far more potential though u can add value by building a site

[droid]

I second that about eBay too. That's where I got mine from albeit not that much of a bargain in my case.

Especially check the auctions with no reserve.

Gary

[MCNM]

What are the costs involved in buying and selling cherished numbers?

[mat]

The main problem with buying and selling number plates as an investment is that the plate is only 100% put in your name once you put it onto a car.

Say you buy a number plate which is on retention from the seller, you obviously want to keep it on retention yourself as an investment or to resell. The problem is that untill you put it on a car the plate is still legaly his, he can claim it back off you at any time.

Its almost like only being able to change the nameservers on a domain name and not being able to do the full Nominet transfer!

[wb]

Mat - is the problem resolved if you put the plate onto your car then take it off to stick it on retention?

[mat]

Yes, buy annoyingly if your buying from someone who has just put it on retention, you not only have to pay to put it on your car, but then have to pay again to put it on retention!

[BREWSTERS]

The cost of retention is steep too - £105 for one year / £155 for 3 years - it's not like domain renewals.

The private plate market is different in that it's driven largely by ego whereas domains are commercially driven.

[redbird]

I've bought several from DVLA auctions (in person and bidding by phone) and I would say that is the best place to buy although I've never explored ebay. There are a lot of dealers at these auctions whose sole intention is to resell at a profit which means they only buy at reseller prices so an individual can get a bargain if the plate you are after is up for sale as it will be up for sale a couple of days later on a dealers site.

All DVLA auctions are for never before issued plates, so you won't find them for sale anywhere else. Although some dealers are already offering to "catch it" for you at reduced end user price without the potential purchaser knowing that that could buy it for less in person.

It's a good day out and far more pleasant than some of the dodgy car auctions I used to go to in my youth