I previously wrote a basic guide explaining how to sell a private number plate. I want to take this opportunity to go into a bit more detail on the same subject, focusing on some of the options that are available to you. If you haven’t already seen it, you may want to have a quick read of the basic private number plate guide before continuing with this article.
Okay, I am assuming you are reading this article because you have a personalised number plate to sell. The first choice you have to make is most likely going to be determined by your own personal circumstances:
Do you need the money straight away, or are you prepared to wait a while?
I receive telephone calls and emails every day asking if we buy registrations. The answer is yes, but only if it is an attractive combination that meets our criteria, I ask the client; are you looking to sell outright for immediate settlement, or would you like us to advertise the registration on your behalf?
I always advise against selling outright unless you are desperate to get your hands on the cash. The reason; you will receive a lot more money if you are prepared to wait until we can find a buyer for your plate. To demonstrate this point; a gentleman rang this morning with a nice two-letter, two-number combination for sale, similar to RW 75. I said I would buy it for stock, today, for £7,000. As he doesn’t need the money quickly he asked us to advertise it for sale on his behalf. If we manage to find a buyer for his cherished registration at the price he is hoping for, he will receive £16,000 on completion of sale.
If you are going to approach several dealers with a view to selling your registration, make sure you understand whether the quote you receive is based upon an outright purchase, or a commission sale. The price difference won’t always be as vast as in the example used above, but there will be a difference. I suggested a much lower retail price for the registration in this morning’s example, but the gentleman wants to try an ambitious figure in the first instance. If after six months there hasn’t been any interest in his plate, he is going to reduce the price to a more realistic level.
Please note: I often see comments on motoring forums advising people to sell their private plates back to DVLA as you get a better price. This is absolute nonsense as DVLA do not buy registrations.
Which company is the best at selling number plates?
To help answer this question correctly we are going to separate personalised registrations into two groups.
Word or name resemblances – The first group is for plates that resemble a name or word – for example: CRA 1G, PAU 11L, SUS 4N, FA57 EST. If you have a registration to sell which falls into this group, it is important to select a company that accommodates name and word searches on its website.
Short, dateless registrations – The second group is for personalised plates that contain no more than three letters; the short, dateless versions such as: 52 D, 16 ES, 25 PK, 7 SLC. You are not as restricted on choice as most cherished number reseller websites can handle this type of search. Just test out a few websites to see how they present search results and make sure you are happy with how the website interacts with a potential purchaser.
DVLA offers a list of cherished number plate dealers via the web referral scheme: http://dvlaregistrations.direct.gov.uk/dealers
This blog post explains how the DVLA web referral scheme works: https://www.simplyregistrations.co.uk/dvla-personalised-registrations-web-referral-scheme/
You may prefer to choose a company which is a member of a registered number plate dealer association: https://www.simplyregistrations.co.uk/cnda-cng-mirad-number-plate-dealer-associations/
Personally, I don’t believe there is a company that ticks all the boxes and therefore deserves to be called the best at selling private number plates. At Simply Registrations we don’t have a word or name search facility on our website; however we do have a browse option which allows searches to be performed alphabetically. I’ve got to be honest and say that if you have a private plate to sell and it contains a word or name resemblance, you shouldn’t be solely relying on the Simply Registrations website to find a buyer for your plate. On the plus side we advertise regularly in motoring magazines and aim to include a selection of our clients’ registrations in our advertisements. The image above shows our latest full-page offering in What Car Magazine.
Hopefully you found the information in this blog post useful. Please like and share to help spread the word.
Are you thinking of selling a personalised number plate?
I previously wrote a basic guide explaining how to sell a private number plate. I want to take this opportunity to go into a bit more detail on the same subject, focusing on some of the options that are available to you. If you haven’t already seen it, you may want to have a quick read of the basic private number plate guide before continuing with this article.
Okay, I am assuming you are reading this article because you have a personalised number plate to sell. The first choice you have to make is most likely going to be determined by your own personal circumstances:
Do you need the money straight away, or are you prepared to wait a while?
I receive telephone calls and emails every day asking if we buy registrations. The answer is yes, but only if it is an attractive combination that meets our criteria, I ask the client; are you looking to sell outright for immediate settlement, or would you like us to advertise the registration on your behalf?
I always advise against selling outright unless you are desperate to get your hands on the cash. The reason; you will receive a lot more money if you are prepared to wait until we can find a buyer for your plate. To demonstrate this point; a gentleman rang this morning with a nice two-letter, two-number combination for sale, similar to RW 75. I said I would buy it for stock, today, for £7,000. As he doesn’t need the money quickly he asked us to advertise it for sale on his behalf. If we manage to find a buyer for his cherished registration at the price he is hoping for, he will receive £16,000 on completion of sale.
If you are going to approach several dealers with a view to selling your registration, make sure you understand whether the quote you receive is based upon an outright purchase, or a commission sale. The price difference won’t always be as vast as in the example used above, but there will be a difference. I suggested a much lower retail price for the registration in this morning’s example, but the gentleman wants to try an ambitious figure in the first instance. If after six months there hasn’t been any interest in his plate, he is going to reduce the price to a more realistic level.
Please note: I often see comments on motoring forums advising people to sell their private plates back to DVLA as you get a better price. This is absolute nonsense as DVLA do not buy registrations.
Which company is the best at selling number plates?
To help answer this question correctly we are going to separate personalised registrations into two groups.
Word or name resemblances – The first group is for plates that resemble a name or word – for example: CRA 1G, PAU 11L, SUS 4N, FA57 EST. If you have a registration to sell which falls into this group, it is important to select a company that accommodates name and word searches on its website.
Short, dateless registrations – The second group is for personalised plates that contain no more than three letters; the short, dateless versions such as: 52 D, 16 ES, 25 PK, 7 SLC. You are not as restricted on choice as most cherished number reseller websites can handle this type of search. Just test out a few websites to see how they present search results and make sure you are happy with how the website interacts with a potential purchaser.
DVLA offers a list of cherished number plate dealers via the web referral scheme: http://dvlaregistrations.direct.gov.uk/dealers
This blog post explains how the DVLA web referral scheme works: https://www.simplyregistrations.co.uk/dvla-personalised-registrations-web-referral-scheme/
You may prefer to choose a company which is a member of a registered number plate dealer association: https://www.simplyregistrations.co.uk/cnda-cng-mirad-number-plate-dealer-associations/
Personally, I don’t believe there is a company that ticks all the boxes and therefore deserves to be called the best at selling private number plates. At Simply Registrations we don’t have a word or name search facility on our website; however we do have a browse option which allows searches to be performed alphabetically. I’ve got to be honest and say that if you have a private plate to sell and it contains a word or name resemblance, you shouldn’t be solely relying on the Simply Registrations website to find a buyer for your plate. On the plus side we advertise regularly in motoring magazines and aim to include a selection of our clients’ registrations in our advertisements. The image above shows our latest full-page offering in What Car Magazine.
Hopefully you found the information in this blog post useful. Please like and share to help spread the word.
How long does it take to sell a personalised number plate?
This question is always a difficult one to answer. It is asked by almost everyone who approaches Simply Registrations with a number plate they wish to sell. Whilst there are definitely some influential factors such as price and desirability, until a buyer is prepared to part with their hard-earned money and commit to the purchase, you just never know.
Many years of buying and selling private number plates has taught me this business can make you look foolish. As an example; I bought the registration BEN 962 many years ago expecting to sell it fairly quickly for a modest profit. It sold in December 2012 for a modest profit; however I had it in stock for over seven years. In contrast, less than three weeks ago I purchased the registrations 79 SD & SHC 7 expecting to have them in stock for the average length of time which tends to be two to three years. 79 SD sold within days of me buying it and we have just taken a part-payment against SHC 7.
Influential Factors
The asking price is likely to have some impact on how long a personalised plate takes to sell, but it doesn’t always just come down to price. We currently have 9 JSE in stock, probably the lowest priced single-digit JSE plate on the market. However that doesn’t necessarily mean that 9 JSE will sell before 5 JSE or JSE 7 which are also for sale, albeit with higher asking prices. If Jason S Edwards is looking for a cherished registration and he was born on the 5th of March, it is likely that 5 JSE would be his first choice.
The desirability of the registration should also have some bearing on how quickly it sells, or doesn’t sell as the case may be. The initials AJB or SMC are much more popular than combinations such as VGR or HBN. But if Helen B Nelson has just bought herself a brand new car and is eager to get a private plate for it, you may just get lucky if you have an HBN registration for sale.
Spreading the Word
If you want to stand a good chance of selling your number plate you’ve got to let potential buyers know that it is for sale. We promote the Simply Registrations website at every opportunity and advertise regularly in selected motoring publications such as What Car? Motor Sport and Auto Express. We also circulate our entire stock of personalised registrations among the trade which often results in other trusted dealers selling our stock via their websites or advertisements.
Common sense suggests that a registration which can be found on dealer websites, in adverts within car magazines and maybe even listed on Ebay will stand a better chance of selling than one which is photographed and carefully placed inside a newsagent’s window.
My fifteen years of buying and selling private number plates suggests you should allow at least two, or maybe even three years to sell a personalised registration. There will always be external forces at work which may help or hinder the sale of your plate, whilst price and desirability could also influence timescales. If you have a registration that you are considering selling, you may find this guide useful which provides further details on how to sell a private number plate.
Auto Trader magazine comes to an end as the digital age takes over
Auto Trader has become a household name since its advent in the mid 70s; for anyone looking to buy or sell a car, the standard approach would be to place an ad in the iconic magazine, or buy a copy and flick through the thousands of adverts in the hunt for your new motor. This popular publication was truly the lifeblood of the car industry, both for dealers and private sellers. However, as life moves evermore towards digital media, it’s with much sadness that we have learned of the imminent closure of the print version of this well-known and much-loved magazine.
Falling circulation and revenue
Many years ago, Auto Trader was a veritable tome, nearing phonebook proportions and jam packed full of new and used cars for sale. Its advertising revenue was immense, and it seemed that it was an institution that would always be there. However, since the launch of the Auto Trader website, circulation volumes of the print magazine have fallen rapidly, with the money generated through its ads almost halving in recent years. This led to a decision from its publisher, The Trader Media Group, to say goodbye to the hard-copy version and focus its efforts solely on the website.
While this may come as a surprise to many, we’ve done our own investigating – talking to various motor traders who would always have the latest copy of the magazine sat on their desks, we found that it was no longer part of the office furniture – making it little wonder that the publishing group have decided to call it a day.
Technology is the new trading space
As many businesses are finding, modern technology is changing the way consumers access the products they want to buy. With people surfing online via multiple devices, and with smartphones and tablets becoming more commonplace than ever before, it’s really no surprise that online visitors to the Auto Trader website have risen by 11% in just one year. During this time, the number of its visitors using a mobile device has grown from 1.1 million to 2.3 million – showing the influence that technology is having on purchasing habits.
If you had asked anybody 10 or 15 years ago whether they envisaged this giant of car advertising closing down, no one would have believed it possible. But the online version has eclipsed the value of the print edition, and this much more accessible and immediate version now boasts 11 million unique visitors per month. The website offers a much more intuitive search function and easy listing tools, adding to its appeal for those who want to buy or sell cars more efficiently.
So, while we’re sorry to see the print magazine come to an end, from a business perspective, we can see why it makes perfect sense. Farewell Auto Trader, thanks for the memories!
Multiple Charities to benefit from sale of Rare Number Plate
The unfortunate passing of a South Yorkshire woman has led to solicitors searching for a buyer for her unique personalised registration plate. With multiple UK charities standing to benefit from the proceeds, the hunt is now underway to find someone who wishes purchase this unique piece of motoring history.
Death is never happy affair, but sometimes a bizarre twist of fate can lead worthwhile charitable causes to benefit from someone’s demise. A firm of solicitors recently landed the task of distributing funds left by a deceased British lady, with the majority of her £400,000 estate being left to charities working across the UK.
With several unusual items needing to find a new home in order to release collateral from the lady’s belongings, antiques specialist Vivienne Milburn and registrations expert James Saperia have been asked to locate new owners for certain valuables – with an exclusive personalised number plate being one of the more distinctive effects.
The registration in question is ‘VKY 1’ – the ultimate registration for any female motorist by the name of Vicky or Victoria. With the sale price set at £12,500 this is a unique opportunity to purchase an exclusive registration at an attractive price. James Saperia, MD of Simply Registrations says: “We’re delighted to have been asked to assist with the marketing of this prestigious personalised registration, especially with the proceeds of the sale being donated to a selection of good causes.”
The registration was originally issued in 1961, and the charities that stand to benefit from the proceeds include the PDSA, Dogs Trust, Cats Protection, Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice in Sheffield, Yorkshire Cancer Research, Redwings Horse Sanctuary in Norwich and the Mayflower Sanctuary in Doncaster. In addition to these organisations, proceeds of the estate will also be distributed to the Born Free Foundation, famous for its work with wildlife around the world.
Those in the know recognise that personalised registrations can be a real investment and offer a fantastic return in the future too. Quentin Wilson, one of Britain’s best-known motoring authorities has been quoted as saying: “If you choose your number wisely, it will honestly be better than money in the bank.”
If you’re interested in becoming the new owner of the VKY 1 registration, you can contact Simply Registrations by telephone on 0113 288 7553 or enquire via the website at: https://www.simplyregistrations.co.uk
Please note; VKY 1 is now sold.
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Notes to editors:
Images available on request – browse at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamessaperia/
Contact James Saperia for further information
Contact email: james@simplyregistrations.co.uk
Contact telephone number: 0113 288 7553
Website: https://www.simplyregistrations.co.uk/
We Buy Private Number Plates
Do you have a private number plate to sell?
Please read the following information carefully to get an understanding of what we buy (and what we don’t buy) for stock.
At Simply Registrations we primarily buy and sell high-value, dateless registrations with a retail value of more than £5,000.
We are always interested in hearing about any dateless registrations such as:
73 JS, 85 PK, 7 RCH or 79 SL.
We are keen buyers of top quality registrations with as few characters as possible.
Please get in touch straight away if you are selling a cherished registration similar to:
5 DH, JH 3, MC 6 or 22 S.
We don’t buy prefix registrations such as:
A15 GDT, B7 GUM, K19 SLB or J30 REP.
We also don’t buy current-style registrations similar to:
RO13 UST, WE51 ONE, FR11 NGE or PO13 SCH.
If you have a prefix or current-style plate to sell, you may want to read:
How to sell a private number plate.
Outright or immediate sale
Selling your registration to us for our stock is different to selling your registration on a commission basis. If we buy your private plate for stock you will receive payment as soon as the transfer is processed by DVLA – typically within 24 hours if it is already held on retention. This option is great for anyone who needs the money quickly and accepts the cash-in value of their plate is going to be a lot less than its true market value or retail price.
Commission sale or agency basis
If you have an attractive private number plate to sell and you want to achieve the best possible price, you may want to consider offering it for sale on a commission basis. We still prefer quality registrations regardless of whether we are buying outright or selling on a commission or agency basis, so the no ‘prefix’ or ‘current-style’ plate rule still applies. We will list your plate for sale on the Simply Registrations website and may include it in our full-page advertisements in several motoring magazines. There are no upfront fees and we only earn our commission when a buyer completes the purchase. The image below shows a recent full-page advert from Autocar magazine.