License plate collecting with the Wizard

Quote: Wizard

...This year is not as valuable as the 1917 I recently purchased...

Speaking of which, how has that worked out? What is the story behind its extraordinary condition?

Is there an independent grading service like "GIA" for gems, or "PCGS" for coins? If not, perhaps there is an opportunity to start a side hustle.

Quote: Ayecarumba

Speaking of which, how has that worked out? What is the story behind its extraordinary condition?

I received the plate without any surprises. I don't know much about its story. Another collector said that it was in the collection of some other member for a long time. I think he died and his collection got scattered around, probably by relatives who weren't interested in plates.

Quote:

Is there an independent grading service like "GIA" for gems, or "PCGS" for coins? If not, perhaps there is an opportunity to start a side hustle.

No. I don't think there is enough volume for such a service to make money. I'm sure those grading services have not being doing well since pictures are so easily shared these days, which say a lot more than a grade.

Five hours to go and my Nevada 1919 is at $228. I've got a sniper bid in higher than that. Hope it doesn't go up too much more.

Quote: Wizard

I received the plate without any surprises. .

Don't you ever have buyers remorse
when they arrive? I would.

Quote: Evenbob

Don't you ever have buyers remorse
when they arrive? I would.

Before the Internet I bought some plates from a collector in Delaware that were significantly over-graded. I called him up to complain about it, asking for either a reduction in price or to send them back. He just snipped at me, "If you don't like them -- send them back." Which I did.

On a totally different topic, I've been trying to figure out what is going on with the 2017 inaugural license plates. Until just a few days before the inauguration articles said that 2017 would be the first inauguration since 1929 without them, except 1945, when there was a metal shortage due to the war and I'm sure FDR didn't want any extravagances for the inauguration. Or he was too sick to care.

As near as I can tell, there are two official styles. I'll link to a couple Ebay auctions as examples:

Style #1

Style #2

There is also this allegedly rejected style #3.

If anybody reading this has a subscription to the Wall Street Journal online, can you tell me what this article reads: Trump to Issue Inaugural License Plates After All.

However, I think this is like every year since 2005 where these are more like souvenirs and were never street legal, except for use by inauguration vehicles for a few months after the inauguration. In 2013 I think there were not even special plates for the parade. For 2017, I'm still not sure what was on Trump's limo or other vehicles in the parade.

Quote: Wizard

Before the Internet I bought some plates from a collector in Delaware that were significantly over-graded. I called him up to complain about it, asking for either a reduction in price or to send them back. He just snipped at me, "If you don't like them -- send them back." Which I did.

On a totally different topic, I've been trying to figure out what is going on with the 2017 inaugural license plates. Until just a few days before the inauguration articles said that 2017 would be the first inauguration since 1929 without them, except 1945, when there was a metal shortage due to the war and I'm sure FDR didn't want any extravagances for the inauguration. Or he was too sick to care.

As near as I can tell, there are two official styles. I'll link to a couple Ebay auctions as examples:

Style #1

Style #2

However, I think this is like every year since 2005 where these are more like souvenirs and were never street legal, except for use by inauguration vehicles for a few months after the inauguration. In 2013 I think there were not even special plates for the parade. For 2017, I'm still not sure what was on Trump's limo or other vehicles in the parade.

I'd pass here, looks like an expensive souvenir.

I do wonder if Trump has had the D.C. plates removed from the Limo and went back to the federal jobs?

Quote: AZDuffman

I'd pass here, looks like an expensive souvenir.

I do wonder if Trump has had the D.C. plates removed from the Limo and went back to the federal jobs?

The big question is were any special plates in use for the parade. Just being in the parade gives any inaugural plate style some credibility. It is this situation that tests collectors on what is a legitimate license plate, which is not always an easy question to answer. This is an especially thorny question with foreign plates.

Still, as a proud collector to have every style of inaugural license plates since the first one in 1933, I can't sit this one out. There are less than 700 known 1933 inaugurals still in existence and one of them is mine. The most valuable plate in my collection, at a value of $3,000 to $4,000. If I get that 1910 Maryland plate, that will be about the same value.

Paint a big red S on my forehead, for "sucker," for I just bought both styles.

Quote: Wizard

Paint a big red S on my forehead, for "sucker," for I just bought both styles.

Yep, you were right AZ.



Note this video of the inaugural parade. Most of the time you can't get a good look at the license plate but stop it at 4:40 and you'll see it is just an ordinary Washington DC plate. I'm not sure what the significance is of the numbering. I speculate that the 800 numbers are reserved for the White House and the 002 refers to a particular White House car. It used to be that the president got the #1 and the vice president the #2 plate, but these days they may be trying to make the presidential limo not so obvious.

p.s. I love those bike lanes in the middle of the street. I don't think they had them when I live in Baltimore from 1992 to 2001.

Back to the 1919 NV plate, the price has bumped up to $308 with 37 minutes to go.

follow the excitement.

p.s. 2 minutes to go and holding at $308.
p.p.s. At the last second two snippers came in, including me. I got it for $518.80. I was prepared to go as high as $777, so I'm happy.

Quote: Wizard

Yep, you were right AZ.



Note this video of the inaugural parade. Most of the time you can't get a good look at the license plate but stop it at 4:40 and you'll see it is just an ordinary Washington DC plate. I'm not sure what the significance is of the numbering. I speculate that the 800 numbers are reserved for the White House and the 002 refers to a particular White House car. It used to be that the president got the #1 and the vice president the #2 plate, but these days they may be trying to make the presidential limo not so obvious.

p.s. I love those bike lanes in the middle of the street. I don't think they had them when I live in Baltimore from 1992 to 2001.

The numbers may be reserved but it is political not security. Historically the POTUS limo would have "USA-1" as the plate number. With some kind of federal plate. However, Washington, DC has "Taxation Without Representation" as the motto at the moment, because they are not a state and have no votes in Congress. Obama had DC plates with the motto put on sometime I forget when. When he did that IIRC they said over the years some POTUSs did this and others did not, presumably mostly along party lines.

So if Trump does shift back it would take some time in office to order it to be done then change the plate. Ironically similar to how it would have been had I bought your Cadillac.