Vintage License Plate Love

This has been my general rule of thumb over the years for vintage license plates:  Don't pay more than $1 each, and sell them for a quick  $5. 


Or use them to decorate a multitude of items.

Last fall I bought a stack of them that were sitting on my dining room table when a guy came to install my granite countertop.  He looked through them and told me that some of the California ones might be worth some money because in that state you can reuse vintage plates if the number/letters aren't being currently used.

I dug through my plates and found I had a matching pair of 1960s California plates, in pretty good condition.  I did more research.  I called the California DMV to see if the plates were clear.  YES!  I put them on ebay and made a quick $200. 

I don't know about all states, but I visited a vintage car show in Nebraska last weekend and asked about vintage plates.  The guy said that in Nebraska you have to take the actual plate (you just need one in Nebraska) in to the Department of Motor Vehicles.  They check out the condition of the plate and see if it is free and clear.  Worth checking.


So now the new general rule of thumb is:  Don't pay more than $1 each, sell the ones after 1970 for $5 each.  Research others, probably put them on ebay.