Plates full of money...
Quentin Wilson "Cherished plates have gone up 22 percent in the last four months: the sort of return you can only dream of with traditional investments"

Quentin Wilson - Daily Mirror

Investing in number plates

"If you buy your number wisely, it will honestly be better than money in the bank."

We believe that investing in Cherished Marks will serve you well, but don't take our word for it. Read what the experts have to say and how cherished number plate prices and investments have flourished.

The Cherished Numbers Dealers Association says...

"Personalised and attractive number plates have become a growth industry. Thousands of motorists now display registrations which represent their initals or advertise their business or profession. Others choose a number which bears an amusing message or simply disguises the true age of their vehicle."
- Visit the Cherished Numbers Dealers Association

An excerpt from the Investment/Money section of the Saturday edition of The Times Newspaper...

For some people they are objects of derision, for others a status symbol, or just a bit of fun. But whatever your view on personalised number plates, one thing is sure. They are now big business.

Figures from the Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) show that nearly 190,000 car owners spent £92 million on individual registrations in 2001 - 2002 up 15 percent on the previous year and this is just new plates. The market for second hand plates is equally as buoyant. This increased demand has driven up the prices people are willing to pay. Prized plates can cost thousands of pounds, and more than £100,000 has changed hands for a single registration on five separate occasions.

So as share prices tumble and the housing market outlook looks uncertain, could a carefully chosen portfolio of registration numbers be a sound investment?. And this is where the high prices come in.

Why invest in number plates?

Traditonally, personalised plates were found only on luxury vehicles. Now many peple buy marks that bear their names, initials or make of car.

Gifts are also popular and parents have even bought registrations for their children. Businesses often snap up marks relevant to their line of work. A plumber paid £25,500 in April for the registration W4TER, to add to his other numbers: B)G 1 and L0O2 LOO

The most expensive plate ever was K1 NGS which sold for £231,000 in 1993.

Buying Wisely is the key to sound investment and like many of life's little extras, the more you invest, the greater the return. Some examples of cherished number plate prices are shown below, giving their current value.

RegistrationDate of SalePrice ThenPrice Now
1 NU1995£2,400£50,000
1 VV1995£5,800£50,000
WKS 11994£2,200£20,000
1 TCB1992£3,000£20,000
NSH 11994£2,600£20,000
PAU 1Y1996£3,000£25,000
1 0Y1994£3,400£40,000
1 0A1992£3,200£40,500
HPS 11994£3,300£20,000
1 SAJ1994£3,300£25,000

If bought correctly the value of your registration will not go down, it doesn't require any maintenance, lasts a lifetime, can be a family heirloom and is totally unique. Having something that is all these things is surely unique in itself.