Does anyone here on AARoads collect license plates?
Just stuff off cars I've owned. Probably is a less expensive hobby than sign collecting.
Just off of stuff my family has owned. Kinda got started by my maternal grandfather; the collection I inherited from him has plates going back to the 1950s, IIRC. I also have local bicycle plates from the 80s to the early 90s when my town switched to non-expiring stickers.
I have one from 1945 (IIRC) Connecticut that I found in my backyard, circa 1983. I used to have it hanging on my wall, but it's currently in a box.
Not super active, just toss stuff from cars family has owned in a drawer, mostly. I have several WV plates including a 63 and a 64 (back then you got a new plate every year) which read Centennial and the acompanying front plates (WV is a one plate state but issued a front plate for the Centennial). Have a Sesqui-Centennial plate (which are flat). Couple of Marshall alumni plates. Have a DC Trump inaugration plate. Have the front plate for a state owned car for "Celebration 2000), which somebody stole for me from a state car. Nothing special.
Quote from: ColossalBlocks on April 11, 2017, 11:16:55 AM
Does anyone here on AARoads collect license plates?
agentsteel53 /Jake does.
I have every license plate from every car I've owned, but I don't collect any others.
I do, I've got several from Maryland, several from Virginia and Pennsylvania, ones from Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Nevada, South Dakota, Utah, Texas, Washington and Quebec.
Yes... Although states seem to be more vigilant about collecting old tags.
My ex wifes grandfather gave me his collection of Indiana tags from 1959-2001.. Like Florida Indiana issued new tags every year for a long time.
My treasure from the divorce LOL
I have various tags from me,family and friends from FL, NJ, TX,OK, CA and WA.
My favorite came from my great aunt when she went to Univ of Vermont. The tags were reverse embossed, not very common
LGMS428
I used too.
My wife "accidentally on purpose" got rid of the box that had all of my family's old plates in it....to include a mint condition set of red-white-blue 1976 Michigan plates. I had NJ plates from the mid to late 60's, several different Michigan plates, and a couple sets of Illinois plates from the 1980's, and all of our North Carolina plates since we lived here (all of which are the First In Flight tags that are all over the road today).
I'm still not over this as one can probably imagine.
Quote from: slorydn1 on April 12, 2017, 12:54:24 AM
I used too.
My wife "accidentally on purpose" got rid of the box that had all of my family's old plates in it....to include a mint condition set of red-white-blue 1976 Michigan plates. I had NJ plates from the mid to late 60's, several different Michigan plates, and a couple sets of Illinois plates from the 1980's, and all of our North Carolina plates since we lived here (all of which are the First In Flight tags that are all over the road today).
I'm still not over this as one can probably imagine.
I understand the anguish!
LGMS428
Yes and started actively buying plates in 1994. I have cut back recently because they end up just sitting in bins ultimately, but I do usually have a display of at least one from every state and select specialties and older designs. I also completed a run of every Florida County tag in 2014, something I started back in 1996.
Every so often I feel the need to purge some of my tags that I deem extras, and I have given them away, such as to my friend Bill's son, who started collecting them a few years ago with just three in his collection. I attended Jeff's plate show this year again but didn't buy anything for the first time. There are several new bases out there that I need, but it's easier to wait a year or two for them to become more available and cheaper than seeking them ASAP.
Quote from: Alex on April 12, 2017, 09:10:27 AM
Yes and started actively buying plates in 1994. I have cut back recently because they end up just sitting in bins ultimately, but I do usually have a display of at least one from every state and select specialties and older designs. I also completed a run of every Florida County tag in 2014, something I started back in 1996.
Every so often I feel the need to purge some of my tags that I deem extras, and I have given them away, such as to my friend Bill's son, who started collecting them a few years ago with just three in his collection. I attended Jeff's plate show this year again but didn't buy anything for the first time. There are several new bases out there that I need, but it's easier to wait a year or two for them to become more available and cheaper than seeking them ASAP.
Speaking of Florida counties I still have my plate from my old Camaro that I had when I lived there. At the time I lived in Monroe County and had a custom plate for the Camaro. For whatever reason I chose the "Sunshine State" over the county name which I really regret since it would have been an infinitely cooler plate with that specific county on it. I still have it on my mantle and I suppose it did work out because I ended up in Orange County once my job transferred me.
I only have my old plates from when I went from a regular one to a vanity plate in 2015. I've thought about getting a Japanese license plate set for when I import a car from Japan, but they've recently become very strict about turning them in so all I can find are American-made replicas.
Yes, I have lost count. At least 140 of them. It's really fun.
I'm trying to pick up one for every state/province in the US and Canada, or anything else interesting (preferably cheap - got a Romanian plate for $1), which puts me at 36. I used to have about a dozen 1980s-era plates, including one from Germany, but gave them all away when I went to college.
Despite repeated visits to some places, I sometimes forget to ask...for example, I don't have a Georgia or North Carolina plate, but have two from Massachusetts. Someone in the car business has a spare or orphan tag lying around, though some places are stricter than others about offering old/unused plates.
I'm not looking for anything fancy, so it's a mix of recent "flat" plates and some embossed older stuff.
Quote from: formulanone on October 25, 2019, 10:56:13 AM
I'm try to pick up one for every state/province in the US and Canada, or anything else interesting (preferably cheap - got a Romanian plate for $1), which puts me at 36. I used to have about a dozen 1980s-era plates, including one from Germany, but gave them all away when I went to college.
Despite repeated visits to some places, I sometimes forget to ask...for example, I don't have a Georgia or North Carolina plate, but have two from Massachusetts. Someone in the car business has a spare or orphan tag lying around, though some places are stricter than others about offering old/unused plates.
I'm not looking for anything fancy, so it's a mix of recent "flat" plates and some embossed older stuff.
Around here we have some junkyards where you can go in and take parts off of junked/totaled cars and then take them up to the front, where I believe you pay for them by weight. Most of them still have the plates on, since most of the people browsing are mechanics, not license plate collectors, and of course they're cheap, because license plates are light. Of course, this may be less viable in some states than others depending on license plate transfer rules, but it's worth checking into if you don't mind spending some time wandering around.
Quote from: Scott5114 on October 26, 2019, 04:55:41 AM
Quote from: formulanone on October 25, 2019, 10:56:13 AM
I'm try to pick up one for every state/province in the US and Canada, or anything else interesting (preferably cheap - got a Romanian plate for $1), which puts me at 36. I used to have about a dozen 1980s-era plates, including one from Germany, but gave them all away when I went to college.
Despite repeated visits to some places, I sometimes forget to ask...for example, I don't have a Georgia or North Carolina plate, but have two from Massachusetts. Someone in the car business has a spare or orphan tag lying around, though some places are stricter than others about offering old/unused plates.
I'm not looking for anything fancy, so it's a mix of recent "flat" plates and some embossed older stuff.
Around here we have some junkyards where you can go in and take parts off of junked/totaled cars and then take them up to the front, where I believe you pay for them by weight. Most of them still have the plates on, since most of the people browsing are mechanics, not license plate collectors, and of course they're cheap, because license plates are light. Of course, this may be less viable in some states than others depending on license plate transfer rules, but it's worth checking into if you don't mind spending some time wandering around.
I'll have to try a junkyard, good idea!
Yeah, Oklahoma is one of the easier ones, I've found. Texas also seems to have a glut of unused plates.
Me: "Do you have any leftover plates from trade-ins?"
Sales/Service manager: [points to the lot] "Take your pick."
I got a few from my dad. My dad worked at a major interstate truck company and when they retired the truck, they would take the plates off the trucks.
I have a few but don't collect them. Mine are only Michigan and Minnesota plates.
I collect them, but I only have a Michigan and a Tennessee plate, both off of a car I owned at one time.
Was flipping through the Road Signs thread, and figured I'd share my birth year (1982) run. Every state, DC, American territory, Canadian province, Canadian territory, and then a couple random ones (Red Lake Reservation and U.S. Armed Forces). Some were tough to find (American Samoa, Northern Marianas, etc.)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50274117967_859f12c969_o_d.png)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50273953961_22c7c8267c_o_d.png)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50274118067_9793f9c697_o_d.png)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50273279363_d96aba3a0f_o_d.png)
Chris
Quote from: jayhawkco on August 27, 2020, 03:01:33 AM
Was flipping through the Road Signs thread, and figured I'd share my birth year (1982) run. Every state, DC, American territory, Canadian province, Canadian territory, and then a couple random ones (Red Lake Reservation and U.S. Armed Forces). Some were tough to find (American Samoa, Northern Marianas, etc.)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50274117967_859f12c969_o_d.png)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50273953961_22c7c8267c_o_d.png)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50274118067_9793f9c697_o_d.png)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50273279363_d96aba3a0f_o_d.png)
Chris
Your Michigan plate is from the year I was born. I don't really remember that plate much though but I do remember a blue one with white lettering that said Michigan at the top and Great Lakes at the bottom.
Heh, this thread reminded me to go ask the lot manager if he had any unused plates, so I picked up two from Georgia.
I have a handful. Most are my own old plates, but I have a few random ones from both in and out of state. One of my cars came with a West Virginia plate from the previous owner, and I once got a Texas plate (the current black on white one) from someone parting out a car.
Quote from: jayhawkco on August 27, 2020, 03:01:33 AM
Was flipping through the Road Signs thread, and figured I'd share my birth year (1982) run. Every state, DC, American territory, Canadian province, Canadian territory, and then a couple random ones (Red Lake Reservation and U.S. Armed Forces). Some were tough to find (American Samoa, Northern Marianas, etc.)
Chris
That is remarkable. Thanks for sharing.
I have two plates; an old Ontario plate, and an Arizona sample plate (which you can request for free). I do want to start adding more, but every time I go on eBay and see the prices, I would rather just spend the money on more useful things...
Quote from: mrsman on September 03, 2020, 07:38:35 AM
Quote from: jayhawkco on August 27, 2020, 03:01:33 AM
Was flipping through the Road Signs thread, and figured I'd share my birth year (1982) run. Every state, DC, American territory, Canadian province, Canadian territory, and then a couple random ones (Red Lake Reservation and U.S. Armed Forces). Some were tough to find (American Samoa, Northern Marianas, etc.)
Chris
That is remarkable. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for enjoying. Nice pulling into my garage everyday and seeing them.
Chris
It also crossed my mind to ask the good people of this forum whether they collect license plates. The timing of my inquiry comes from the fact that the state of Illinois sent me two pairs of license plates after I requested one pair. For some reason they sent me a second pair of license plates three months after the request, so if you want a fresh new Illinois license plate, send me a message.
OOOOooooh i'd love to get some illinois plates