Even though people call them vanity plates, it doesn’t make you a terrible person if you want one (or several). Actually, it makes you quite a smart person with an inclination towards creativity and originality.
Buying dvla number plates can be quite a fantastic investment from two different points of view. First, there are several amazing personal perks, and second such a plate can be quite a great investment that will grow in value with time.
The Personal Perks of Having a Personalised Number
There are many reasons why people decide to buy a personalised number, but in most cases, the motivation is personal.
It Makes You Feel Special
Regardless of the fact that you use your name, your favourite colour, or any other personal combination, your plate will be unique and good-looking. Even more, it tells people you are special and, if it’s interesting enough, people will actually believe it.
It is a proven fact that regular cars with interesting plate numbers get a lot more attention than the rest. Now, if you have a special car and a personalised plate number, you’re a double winner as people will stop to take photos with your creation!
You Can Promote a Personal Brand
Let’s say you’re a musician looking to get recognition. What better way to promote your brand than by using a clever numbers and letters combination for your car? You know people will remark it and this wins you notoriety in the city you’re driving.
From now on, you’ll be known as the musician with the cool number plates and clients will remember you a lot easier.
Promotes Your Business
Just like the personal brand, a business can earn more visibility on the street by using personalised plates. For instance, a farmer can use FARMER (or something that comes close) as his plates, but there are other examples that attract attention. A great example is the number claimed by a urologist in the USA (PEPE DOC) – now tell me you’re going to miss this number as you go by his car!
Pure Vanity
Yes, the final reason on the personal perks list is vanity. Some of the most expensive license plates were bought out of vanity and we know this because the people who bought them can also afford super-expensive cars. The rich and famous like to have fun with plates that are in high demand. But this is why the DVLA managed to collect record amounts of money ever since the personalised plates were free to use. So yes, it may be vanity, but there’s a good use to it.
It Can Be a Good Investment
Now that you know the personal perks, let’s consider the financial aspect. The cool thing about a special plate is that it doesn’t lose value and it doesn’t alter. Even more, you can buy the plates even before you get the car, and you have the option to never use them on a car – there’s no law for this.
The value of a personalised plate stands in the combination that’s on it. For instance, here are some of the plates that sold high:
- 25 O (£518,000) – bought by John Collins (a Ferrari dealer) in 2014. The plate is still in John Collins’ possession and sits on a very expensive Ferrari 250SWB. Of course, if he were to sell it now, the price would probably be higher.
- F 1 (£440,000) – these are the initials for Formula 1 and the plate was bought by a rich businessman in 2008. Again, the plate only increased in value and nowadays the price would be higher.
- S 1 (£404,000) – this is considered Scotland’s first number plate and was bought by an anonymous buyer.
- 1 D (£352,000) – no, it’s not the plate designed for One Direction since it was bought before the group was even founded. It’s a plate owned by a Lebanese businessman.
- M 1 (£331,000) – this is a classic example of vanity from the rich and famous as the plate doesn’t have any special significance. The buyer is a businessman who thought the number would be a great fit for his 10-year-old
As you can see, there’s good money in this business, and some people actually took advantage of the opportunity in order to win some extra income.
