Origins

The UK Number plate market refers to the buying and selling of number plates in the UK- amongst the numberplate dealers/ numberplate classifieds, the DVLA and various other advertising and sales channels.

Since the first number plate was issued in 1903 the demand for number plates has increased exponentially.

• 2.4 million + registrations sold by DVLA since 1989
• 295,000 cherished transfers in 2006 alone
• 12,000 number plates offered at DVLA Auctions every 12 months
• 32 million available combinations to buy from the DVLA
• £375000 most expensive numberplate "F1" sold in 2008.

Number plate dealers

Since the transfer of number plates became more widespread a few early number plate dealers - notably Elite Registrations- began to appear.

Transferring, owning, buying and selling number plates was much more unclear and difficult than it is today - the early number plate dealers helped to shape the industry and influence some of the regulations surrounding number plates.

Number plate investors

If you choose carefully and are fortunate it is possible to make money from number plates- a growing number of individuals are speculatively purchasing plates from DVLA auctions and the classifieds- with a view to selling on for a profit.

Buying from a number plate dealer or a DVLA reseller will not yield the best chances of making a profit so as with any type of investment- shop around and compare number plates for the best deal.

Number plate values

The general trend of number plate value is one which increases gradually over time. Clearly not all number plates are created equal and some combinations and styles appreciate better than others. Some record breaking number plates have achieved hundreds of thousands of pounds whereas others are worth just £250.

Number plate valuation- as with house valuation; numberplate valuation is subject to the market and other plates that are for sale - Smashing Plates off a numberplate valuation service to give you a current market appraisal of your plate's value.

The future

There will doubtless be more record breaking number plate sales as the number plate market continues to evolve - we personally see a move away from traditional number plate dealers to number plate listings and classifieds websites (such as this one) in the medium to long term- watch this space!

Baffled by Jargon? Try our number plate glossary

© 2008 Smashing Plates | Number plate market.