Online Auction for Centenary Number Plates

Masquara said :

cranky said :

I could name about a dozen, out of probably 50, well healed Canberrans who would pay $10K for these plates, if so inclined. We mugs have no hope.

So, name them! No point skiting without the name-dropping!

A three digit original ACT number plate is now worth about $15,000 average price. These Centenary plates are mere trinkets.

trix said :

Speaking of personalised plates, is there a registry where you can look up existing ones? I might want to get one, but there’s no point if the one I’d want is taken.

My understanding is, pre-computer database you could check the available numeric plates on a hard copy print out (not sure about other formats), but since the advent of computer technology we’re regressed to not being able to search. You’ll just need to prepare a list of preferences and call up and ask via Canberra Connect where they will search on your behalf, which is still reasonably efficient.

trix said :

Speaking of personalised plates, is there a registry where you can look up existing ones? I might want to get one, but there’s no point if the one I’d want is taken.

If you email rus@act.gov.au then someone will reply and let you know if the plate you want is taken or not.Otherwise you have to go to Motor Registry (can probably ring them up too) and ask them.

http://www.rego.act.gov.au/assets/PDFs/Non-standard%20number%20plates%20flyer.pdf

Speaking of personalised plates, is there a registry where you can look up existing ones? I might want to get one, but there’s no point if the one I’d want is taken.

Yesterday, I saw the Canberra Licence plate simply 001 -was wondering if this was the first plate issued or if that one would just have been 1 (without the 00s). It was on an ordinary looking car as well.

cranky said :

I could name about a dozen, out of probably 50, well healed Canberrans who would pay $10K for these plates, if so inclined. We mugs have no hope.

So, name them! No point skiting without the name-dropping!

poetix said :

cranky said :

I could name about a dozen, out of probably 50, well healed Canberrans who would pay $10K for these plates, if so inclined. We mugs have no hope.

What disease were the well-healed suffering from before their miraculous recovery?

Short arms and long pockets…?

If you are keen to bid on these plates BE WARNED!!!

1. History shows that collector value is zero. Many commemorative plates have been released in the ACT over the years and none of them are sought after as collectables. They’re not sought after at all. Even the Bicentennial “A” plates which sold at auction in 1988 for between $800 and $20,000 each are pretty much worthless now.

2. You will be forced to keep paying for years to come. There are now high fees applicable to the transfer of personalised/custom/numeric plates between owners. You will be subjected to the fees which are now hundreds of dollars even if you transfer the plates between family member’s cars. If the name of the primary operator of the two vehicles is different the fee will apply even if the owners are listed as secondary operators. Up until a few years ago there was some common sense applied to this fee and it would be waived if transferring between family members residing at the same address. The fee was meant to be a tax on the sale of rights but it is now applied even if no sale is actually taking place.

There are ways around it for some inconvenience. We have 5 vehicles in our 5 person household, all with custom/numeric plates. To avoid these excessive fees we now have all five vehicles registered with me as the primary operator even though I never ever drive 4 of them. I know of other families in the same situation. I would have thought that the ACT Govt would prefer that the listed primary operator of a vehicle should be the person who drives it most. Not so, apparently!!!

Interestingly, The ACT Government doesn’t list these “sale of rights” fees on the “plates of choice” section of their website. How convenient.

If you want to donate to charity, by all means buy one of the plates. But if you want a collectable numberplate your only chance of future returns is with numeric plates.

cranky said :

I could name about a dozen, out of probably 50, well healed Canberrans who would pay $10K for these plates, if so inclined. We mugs have no hope.

What disease were the well-healed suffering from before their miraculous recovery?

Pork Hunt said :

thatsnotme said :

magiccar9 said :

A starting bid of $500! What a rip-off. I know it’s going to charity and all, but they’re kinda pricing people out of the game. For the same money I could get a pair of the fancy ‘European’ super wide plates, or 5 pairs of the coloured plastic plates.
I was interested, but not after seeing the starting price.

You realise that’s the idea, right? That the whole point of auctioning a one-off item like this is to push the price out of the reach of the average joe, before they’re won by someone who can afford to drop 5 or 10k on what is really just a status symbol?

Bet you they don’t throw in the wee little matching plate for your bike rack regardless of the price…

Initially, I’d thought JB was bidding purely to win the plates and display them proudly when cycling with the rat pack. Or so that the next time bike rego came up, he could say that he had registered his bike – and it cost a heap more than car rego.