Do old license plates have collectors value?

[Hay Dude]

I have a couple. Is there a source that puts value on older license plates?

 

[George2615]

It depends on condition. Some states will not let you restore or repaint the plates. A lot of classic car owners look for them at flea markets or online to put on their cars. In good to excellent condition they sell for $50-150 a set. Beat up old plates have little value. I have two classic cars but use standard issue historic vehicle plate from DMV. The TV show guys (Pickers) seem to pay a fortune for old plates.

 

[Hay Dude]

Here’s the one I have

 

[RjCorazza]

I have a bunch of old Maryland and Pennsylvania plates that my late Father had in his garage. For grins, I put a set of matching MD Bicentennial plates on eBay and they were snatched up in a matter of minutes. Don't remember the price, but under $100.

 

[George2615]

Here’s the one I have

View attachment 833859

That appears to be an old PA motorcycle plate last registered in 69 based on the sticker.

 

[Hay Dude]

That appears to be an old PA motorcycle plate last registered in 69 based on the sticker.

Yeah I figured that, too.
Didn’t know if it was a collectors item

 

[George2615]

Yeah I figured that, too.
Didn’t know if it was a collectors item

I sure that somewhere there is a guy with an old restored M/C that would want that plate. Maybe an ad placed on CL or FB might get some interest. Can't see it would be worth much but I'm cheap and wouldn't pay a lot for it.

 

[dodge man]

I see them in antique stores all the time but never paid attention to how much they were priced.

 

[California]

Ebay, to reach the broadest audience.

There's a 1923 CA plate nailed high on the wall in my barn - the only clue I can find about the age of the various buildings here.

 

[Alan46]

I have a California black plate off of my 65 Mustang!

 

[MadJack]

Let me know...
I know where there is a whole barn covered in 1932 Maine plates! (actually thinking Etsy store)
There were put on the barn back out and painted back a long time ago. (1935?)

 

[Mtsoxfan]

About 1 year before I bought property, owner had all the classic cars in the "graveyard" towed out. I've found a 66? Mustang fender, and a hood that matches the fender paint, but doesn't have the hood body line of a mustang. There is a 48 Crosby with a stream running through it, but still in solid shape. Here is a VT plate that was in creek near Crosby, as well as a CT plate I found in my old houses barn in CTI do have a Crosby hood badge that looks cool.

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

I have a couple. Is there a source that puts value on older license plates?

What the market will bear.

We sold several set of Washington state plates a couple years ago on e-bay. 1958 set was sold to a guy that needed (wanted his plates to match the vehicle year) that year for his 1958 VW bug. A couple hundred dollars.

Like @RjCorazza mentioned above, if there is interest they will get snatched up right away on e-bay.

 

[California]

And as Don Lancaster (self-proclaimed PC/Ebay guru) said:

If it sells the first time you list it, then you set the minimum bid too low.

He had a lot of interesting comments in the old Usenet Ebay group. One I remember was he learned the hard way that a real fire engine wasn't worth as much as the model of it you could hold in one hand.

And a sense of humor. His reply when a beginner asked what to sell on Ebay: Ladders. Washers and dryers.

 

[BravoXray]

A friend gave me a 1970 plate for my 1970 Nova. In Indiana you can run a year of manufacture plate on a classic or antique car, but have to carry a current plate in the vehicle.

 

[ultrarunner]

I started collecting when I washed cars at a dealership every Saturday starting at age 12… goal to have one from all 50 states… I still remember the cars most came from as the out of state plated cars were traded in for Dealership cars.

All plates have value… the top dollar tend to be rare sets that are legal for use in the state that issued them… I’ve seen as much as $500 for the right legal to use set…

Others from a few bucks up.

 

[lman]

My mother has a 1913 Indiana plate that my grandfather purchased. That was the first year of plates here. It was made of porcelain and is in mint condition, hanging on the wall.

 

[Hay Dude]

My state (PA) only requires (1) rear-facing license plate.

 

[BleedingOrange]

My mother has a 1913 Indiana plate that my grandfather purchased. That was the first year of plates here. It was made of porcelain and is in mint condition, hanging on the wall.

Inman, that,s interesting. I never knew of any made of porcelain. Would they not be brittle and break ? Any chance of posting a picture of it ?

 

[ultrarunner]

My oldest plates from the teens are porcelain over metal.

My 1914 white over red porcelain California with metal tag is first year of State issued...

http://www.worldlicenseplates.com/jpglps/US_CAXX_GI1.jpg