Finding Old License Plates

by Andrea L. Algar
Motorheads Performance

As I announced a few days ago, our friend Rod Hemmick, who is an expert when it comes to old, vintage license plates for classic cars, antiques, old trucks and muscle cars has prepared some great information for Classic Car News on the history of Texas license plates and information on obtaining and using old license plates for your ride. The series of articles will start next week!

Motorheads Performance has benefited from Rod's expertise since 2008 or so when we first got together to talk cars. We were so impressed with his knowledge about old license plates, as well as his skills in restoration of old plates. Guy Algar and I learned that there's a lot that goes into the process of restoring old or vintage plates. It requires great detail, use of correct paints and colors, and it's not cheap, but for those who have a set of plates that may have been original to the car, or perhaps plates that were owned by a father or grandfather, sometimes it isn't all about the price. Rod's work has been sold to collectors and enthusiasts from all over the country.

Prices for a good set of YOM plates can go for $250 or more, while nice NOS plates might be found for $50 or more. Prices can vary between states, the year of the plate, and because of the condition of the plate itself. Some years and states are more difficult to find than others because of their current popularity for example.

Sets, or pairs, are usually always more desirable, and more expensive. Sometimes, you can find a random, single plate at a car show or on-line for short money, but in general those who handle old license plates know the value and price them accordingly. A really inexpensive plate may not have a match to make a pair, or be in too rough a shape to be approved for use on the road. It's value may be primarily for wall art. Rod will address many of these issues in his articles.



1954 Michigan Plate

Take a look at this recent rare California license plate, listed on eBay, which looked like it was settling to sell for $177.50 for the single plate. Meanwhile, the Michigan plate had a Buy It Now price of only $4.99, but it was certainly not road-worthy in it's present condition. And, as we wrote in our article, Old Licenses Are Poised To Draw Top Dollar At Upcoming Auctions, prices can go very, very high!

Rod offers up this advice, "The best place to find a set of license plates for your ride is eBay or an automotive swap meet. One of the biggest automotive swap meets held in Texas is the Pate Swap Meet in April which is held at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas.  The 2013 Pate Swap Meet will include a classic car auction in addition to the swap meet!"  I offer that if you can't make it there, consider the New Braunfels Swap Meet in April each year.  Nationally, and probably best known is the Pomona Swap Meet, in Pomona, California, which has 7 events each year specifically for classic car enthusiasts! Mark your calendars and we'll see you there! 

Since we're right in the middle of a very active swap meet and car show season, I wanted to be sure to get information you can benefit from right away. We just published a list of August 2012 Events this week. We will continue with this event listing, and we look forward to bringing you Rod's informational series on old license plates and information on how you can contact Rod with any questions you may have on the history of old license plates.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andrea L. Algar is co-owner of a classic car performance and restoration design shop in Leesville, Texas. Motorheads Performance specializes in repairs, maintenance, performance upgrades and restorative work on cars and trucks from the 1920’s through 1970’s. Her husband Guy L. Algar is a Mechanical Engineer with over 25 years experience. He holds 5 ASE Certifications from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and has been working on old cars and trucks for over 37 years. Together they share their passion for old cars and trucks with other enthusiasts from around the country.

Old License Plates Are Poised To Draw Top Dollar At Upcoming Auction

by Andrea L. Algar
Motorheads Performance

Part of the pride in owning a Classic or Antique Car is being able to display license plates on your vehicle that are not the "standard current issue" type that you find on every other car on the road. If you own a classic '55, a '29 pickup truck, or even a '69 muscle car, it'd be great to proudly display an original license plate from the same year it rolled off the showroom floor!


Photo courtesy Bonhams.com
as reprinted from Hemmings Daily

  Anyone who collects old license plates will certainly be interested in an upcoming auction where two 1948 Illinois license plates with the numbers "1" go up for sale. These plates reportedly were issued to Tucker Corporation because the low number plates back then were usually always issued to the "big names" in the state. The August auction will take place in Carmel, California by Bonhams, who has estimated that the pair of plates will go for somewhere between $6,000 and $8,000! Previous sales for low-number (although not as low) plates have sold for as much as $5750 according to an article in Hemmings Daily this week. The auction will also include a pair of rare art renderings by a designer hired by Preston Tucker himself.

This news led me to get back in touch with an old friend, Rod Hemmick. Rod has been providing professional restorations of YOM license plates for over 18 years, and has even been used as a reference by the State of Texas in one of their publications on the History of Texas License Plates. Guy Algar and I have been using Rod as an expert resource for the restoration work we do at Motorheads Performance, and he's always been able to come through with the best of information and help for our customers. Rod's knowledge is extensive, and the quality of his restoration work is truly outstanding.

Rod first provided me with permission to publish a series of articles he wrote specifically for people looking for old plates, and following our conversation this week, he has once again graciously agreed to allow us to reprint the articles in our newly revised Classic Car News.

- Information Series on Old License Plates -

We will be running articles on period license plates, and how you can get them for your ride. Different states have different requirements and laws governing the use of plates, and we're grateful to have an expert who has shared his knowledge with us. We begin this series with the laws governing the issuance of Antique and Classic license plates for the State of Texas. In upcoming articles, we will cover the history of license plates, proper colors, how to find YOM plates, etc. If you'd like information about another state, or any non-price questions, please contact me so we can publish the information for you or get you in touch with Rod directly.

One thing we noticed following our first discussion of plates back in 2009 was that many contacted Rod concerning his prices for obtaining plates. He cannot generally help in that area. The cost of getting old plates which are in good condition are continually going up. And, if restoration has been done, the cost is even higher. If you've done your research on-line through eBay, specialty sites or car shows, note that they are usually listed at the going rates. Your chances of finding them elsewhere for a lot less money, especially from an experienced collector/restorer, are very slim. Here, the old adage, "You get what you pay for" is especially true. If you really want the plates, don't exhaust yourself trying to save a few dollars. These sellers generally know the accurate value of the pieces they have. It's not at all unusual for vintage plates to sell for $250 or more. If you find what you're looking for and can afford them, buy them, as there are a lot of other people in line looking for the same plates!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andrea L. Algar is co-owner of a classic car performance and restoration design shop in Leesville, Texas. Motorheads Performance specializes in repairs, maintenance, performance upgrades and restorative work on cars and trucks from the 1920’s through 1970’s. Her husband Guy L. Algar is a Mechanical Engineer with over 25 years experience. He holds 5 ASE Certifications from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and has been working on old cars and trucks for over 37 years. Together they share their passion for old cars and trucks with other enthusiasts from around the country.