What's the deal with the new style number plates?
Worth buying? not worth buying?
It depends.... ... are you buying a private number plate for investment? ... or are you buying it just because....?
Prefix style number plates are still the first choice for those who have the budget. Especially for those of us who would like a shortened version of our name (like GAV, or JAN). Or those initials that are very common and in high demand (like JMH).
There's no doubt that the new style number plates are generally more affordable. With 2 issues each year, the registration numbers are in good supply. Once you've decided on the 3-letter combination you're looking for at the end of the registration number, the tricky bit is deciding the first half. We've already talked about how UK number plates work. If you're looking at it from an investment point of view, think about who would want to buy your personalised number plate, and how many similar ones are available. If there are lots around and their cheap to buy, it's because there's little or no demand. The best combinations disappear pretty quickly.The other trend that's popular is to repeat initials on the registration number, like this:
JB08 JRB or
MP54 MRP
As new style registration numbers are released twice a year, they are much more attainable. The restricting factor is, of course, the age of the vehicle the number plate is going on. You cannot assign a registration number to a vehicle that is older than the year identifier on the registration number. i.e. you can't assign JB08 JRB to vehicle that was registered in 2007.
It may be that older combinations that are similar have already gone. So what to do? You can of course look for the appropriate 07 registration number. If that's not available, the other option is to buy JB08 JRB and leave it on a number plate certificate until you have a vehicle of the appropriate age. The choice is yours. It's important, though, to be realistic. Not all registration numbers are a good investment. So make sure you know what your expectations are before you make a decision on your purchase.
Please note: The Plate Market does offer individual advice on investing in number plates. This information is for guidance only.
