Texas license plate "3" available on auction

[docBliny]

I just received an email from myplates.com that they are auctioning off some rare vanity plates. One of them happens to be the single digit "3". So if you're super rich and love your model 3, this might be for you:

3 | Art, Antiques... Auctions Online | Proxibid

Bids currently going at $14,250...

//TB

 

[likeafox]

Intriguing, but my wife wants a Model Y so.....

 

[ℬête Noire]

Higher price than "8"? That's crazy, where are the old-school Chinese heritage people at!???

 

[Darmie]

That would be awesome to have for your model 3.

 

[Rockster]

It's currently at $14,700, auction ending this evening.

 

[Thomas Edison]

Considering the car is called a model 3 and not just 3, I don't think it's worth the money.

 

[03DSG]

Considering the car is called a model 3 and not just 3, I don't think it's worth the money.

I don’t think it’s worth more than $100. $14,700?

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

I don’t think it’s worth more than $100. $14,700?

That's nothing.

In the UK, "personalised" plates are just special standard plates and can be bought and sold. The agency auctions off the good ones from each year's new issue.

Most Expensive License Plates in the UK | Rare Number Plates | Bristol Street Motors | Bristol Street Motors

 

[ℬête Noire]

I don’t think it’s worth more than $100. $14,700?

When I first looked the top bids on '3' and '8' were both by "T****d". I'd guess speculator, "collectables" is a weird market.

BTW looks like the $14,700 bid has been retracted, it's now at $14,500.

 

[ℬête Noire]

That's nothing.

In the UK, "personalised" plates are just special standard plates and can be bought and sold. The agency auctions off the good ones from each year's new issue.

Not as high as the list of prices you linked to but that's what's happening here. The rights to the alphanumeric sequence are "fully transferable", so can be resold. The ownership of the rights are nominally permanent, as the plates are good for 5 years and you can renew them.

P.S. Highest price TX plate sale I've ever heard of is roughly in the price range of that list. $115K for '12THMAN'. No doubt an bunch of Texas A&M alumni bid that up, that's a reference to their college football team (11 players on the field, the "12th man" is reference to support from the sidelines).