OK Thump

[Bwana]

Where would you suggest a person go to try and get a decent price for selling old license plates?

Dad has quite a few old North Dakota license plates, mostly matched pairs and some in nearly new condition, dating back to 1918. He has decided to sell them but I want to make sure he doesn't get taken for too low of a price but rather that he gets a fair price for them.

Any suggestions?

[Arty]

If you want a fair price MY suggestion would be:

Don't sell them to Thump! :)

[Captain]

If you want a fair price MY suggestion would be: Don't sell them to Thump! :)

Bestious advice evah..... :D

[Thumper]

Sorry Bwana ... I was in Tampa at the hospital all day for check-ups and follow-ups. I just got back home.

There's a market for them ... and a nice, matched set would bring a premium IF they were California plates! The best market would be at an automotive swap meet if you ever have those up there. You can also check to see if there are any antique car clubs in your area. Those guys like to have the correct year plate to match the year of their particular car. Because of that, the 1908 -1927 plates are popular for the Model T crowd, 1927-1931 for the Model A crowd, 1932 for the VERY popular '32 Ford owners, and of course there's always the good old tri-5 crowd (1955-1957). The others would just be the individual who has an odd number year classic. Say the guy with a 1951 Chevy pick-up who would like a '51 plate(s) for example. Some states allow you to register a vehicle using an outdated plate if the model year is over X-amount of years old. Some states will let you register with an outdated plate if the car is just for a collection, parades or car shows, etc. The laws vary quite a bit from state to state. OR they can just be cool wall-hangers for a man-cave.

As for pricing, of course I always refer to ebay. DO NOT do like most people do ... many look on ebay, find an item listed at $500, then think their matching gizmo is worth $500. Heck, I can list a jar of P-hole's farts for elebenty-bazillion dollars, but that does NOT mean it would SELL for that price. Search for the item you want to research (on eBay), then look at the column on the left and click on "sold listings". That will bring up the items that have actually sold and the price they were sold for. Open the listing up so you can also see what they charged for shipping. If a 1932 NoDak plate sold for $45.00 and the guy charged $10.00 shipping, for all practical purposes, that plate is "worth" $55.00! Of course you also need to take condition into account. If a bent up, rusty plate brought $55 and yours is pristine, you'll want to find something comparable ... or pad in whatever you think will fly. That's a bit of an art. The other option is an auction and let the market decide it's value. Personally, I don't care for auctions, unless I have an item that I have no clue whatsoever how to price. I enjoy setting my own price and make it a "take it or leave it" deal, but that's just me and it can be time consuming waiting on the right buyer. You can also list a bit on the high side and use the "or best offer" option and see if you can work out a deal after an offer. I've done that quite often. I'll get an offer (usually a low-ball) and I'll counter ... then we'll meet somewhere in the middle. Remember you need to take into account eBay fees, PayPal fees and postage. (print your postage labels through eBay as they are cheaper than the Post Office.)

Of course, you don't have to go with eBay (although you'll have a world wide market), but you can also try something like Craig's List as it's free ... just a more limited market.

OR ... I'll send you $10, you can mail them to me and I'll dispose of them for you! :D

Seriously, try the local car clubs/swap meets if there are any. If you want to dabble in the eBay craziness, I'll be glad to offer any pointers and guidance along the way, but we're leaving Sunday and won't return until the 10th of October. I'll be available after that and you could catch the Christmas rush if you want to go that route.