Rick Kretschmer's License Plate Archives

Introduction

Shown on this page is an extensive list of specific license plates that I'd like to add to my collection. 

My want list consists of plates that I know about.  It's always possible that there's a plate that I don't know exists, and therefore is not listed, that fits into some plate category that I collect.  If you know of any such plates, and especially if you have one to trade or sell, feel free to let me know about it. 

In any case, I'd rather trade than buy, if possible.  Please check out my trade box to see if I have anything you can use. 

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Summary of license plates wanted, by general category

It's hard to summarize the categories of plates that I'm looking for, because for any given category that I collect, I frequently already have many or most of the specific plates in that category.  For example, I could tell you that I'm looking for 1959 passenger car plates, but really there are only a few that I don't yet already have. 

But, I'll take a stab at listing general categories of plates where there are many that I'm still wanting. 

• Church bus plates:  These are issued by Arkansas, Indiana, Misssissppi, and Ohio, and were once issued in Alaska where they were called "Sunday School bus" plates.  Also, I'm looking for "charitable vehicle" or other similar plate types that are mostly used on church buses, issued by a few other states such as Illinois and New Mexico. 
• Other church-related license plates pertaining to any Christian church or denomination, or Christianity in general; including Knights of Columbus organizational member or special interest plates, various other church-related organizational member plates (common in Maryland) and church-related special event plates (common in Illinois). 
• Maryland plates of various types and ages:  Especially optional graphics; organizational member plates; motorcycle plates; unusual types; 1950s and earlier types other than passenger car; and 1950s and earlier passenger car plates in very good condition or better. 
• Pennsylvania plates of various types and ages:  Especially optional graphics; organizational member plates; types other than passenger car, truck, or trailer, regardless of age; 1930s and earlier truck and trailer plates; and 1940s and earlier passenger car plates in very good condition or better. 
• U.S. passenger car plates from 1977:  Many states still needed. 
• Illinois passenger car plates for most all years 1911 to 1958, as well as several additional years since 1958, preferably in very good condition or better.  For those from 1979 to present, I also strongly prefer plates with natural expiration stickers. 
• Plates bearing my first name, initials, or ALPCA member number:  Any vanity plate from anywhere with the words RICK, RIX, or ARKAY on it (with or without other letters or numbers); or any plate from anywhere with only the letters RK, with or without numbers; or any plate from anywhere with the number 9652, with or without letters.  A plate with either serial number RK 9652 or 9652 RK would be perfect! 

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Specific license plates wanted, by jurisdiction

United States

(I do not currently need any plates from Colorado, Maine, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, or Wisconsin, unless they're free.) 

Alabama

• Former Prisoner of War plate (POW serial prefix) with God Bless America legend.  Specifically I'm looking for the black-on-white version with an American flag in the upper corner, any version with a handicapped wheelchair symbol, and any other versions that may exist besides the standard red-on-white with a gold legend. 

Alaska

• Graphic standing bear passenger car plate with a 1977 sticker, in condition better than or similar to this one, but without any extra holes.  (My plate has a nail hole in the middle of the bear's chest.) 
• Non-passenger plate with "S" or "SS" serial prefix (issued to Sunday School buses circa 1962-1975); any year besides 1968. 
• Exempt plates, navy-on-yellow in color; serial format is YYx 000 with or without the space.  I'm specifically looking for the versions without the serial space separator, or without the Exempt legend, or both; any year, circa early 1980s to present.  I prefer rear plates with expiraiton stickers. 

Arizona

• 1973 passenger car plate with 1977 expiration stickers. 

Arkansas

• 1935 passenger car plate. 
• 1959 passenger car plate in better condition than this one. 
• 1959 passenger car plate with 1960-style rounded serial number digits. 
• Graphic plate with In God We Trust legend. 
• Church bus plate, any year or base other than the one with Arkansas screened in blue letters. 

California

• 1956 passenger car plate with 1959 registration sticker only, in better condition than this one. 
• Yellow-on-blue passenger car plate with 1977 expiration stickers. 

Connecticut

• Undated passenger car plate with 1959 registration tab attached, no stickers, in better condition than this one. 
• White-on-blue Constitution State passenger car plate with 1977 expiration sticker. 

Delaware

• Passenger car base plate circa 1958, stainless steel, white numbers on a black background, 6" by 12", round bolt holes 7" apart horizontally, preferably with month-day and 1959 expiration tabs. 
• Passenger car plate with a natural 1977 expiration sticker (no stickers underneath). 

District of Columbia  (Washington, D.C.)

• Bicentennial 1776-1976 six-digit passenger car plate with a 1977 expiration sticker.  I'll consider trading this four-digit VIP plate for your natural expiration six-digit plate. 
• A Capital City six-digit passenger car plate with natural September 1986 expiration stickers, in better condition than this one. 
• Graphic fireworks plate with the legend Bicentennial 1791-1991 (not 1776-1976) and serial format 200-xxx. 
• D.C.-issued Clergy plate, any year.  See example.  (Bos photo / plate)

Florida

• 1975 passenger car base with a 1977 expiration sticker, in better condition than this one. 
• Undated, plain green-on-white passenger car base in Axx 000 serial format with a 1977 expiration sticker. 
• Current standard-design plate with In God We Trust embossed at the bottom, with an expiration sticker that doesn't say Trailer.  See example.  (plate in actual use)
• Optional-design graphic plate with the legend In God We Trust screened on the left side of the plate, and an image of U.S. and state flags along the bottom of the plate, bearing an expiration sticker that doesn't say Trailer. 

Georgia

• 1959 passenger car plate in better condition than this one. 
• 1976 optional Bicentennial plate, preferably but not necessarily with a 1977 sticker. 

Hawaii

• Passenger car plate with a 1977 sticker. 

Idaho

• 1940 passenger car plate. 
• Undated passenger car plate with 1977 expiration sticker. 
• Centennial 1890-1990 plate with serial format 00000C.  See example.  (Perez photo / plate)

Illinois

Years that are underlined and/or clickable are those for which I already have a plate, but want to find one in better condition.  Clicking the year will show you the one I've already got, so you can judge whether yours is better than mine or not.  If the year is underlined but not clickable, I don't have a photo available of the plate in my collection.  Years indicated with an asterisk (*) are those where I'm seeking a natural plate to replace a non-natural I already have for that year. 

For passenger car plates from 1979 forward, I only want rear plates with expiration stickers, and I strongly prefer natural expirations. 

• Passenger car plates:  Issue years 1911 to 1915, 1916, 1917 to 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938 to 1944, 1946, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1964, 1966, and 1970.  Expiration years 1981, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1991*, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2010, and 2011. 
  * Natural needed to replace a non-natural. 
• Eagle Scout special interest plate. 
• Illinois State University special interest plate with an image of their cardinal mascot, on the current base with the sticker well in the upper right corner. 
• 1993 175 Years of Statehood special event plate. 
• 1993 State Symbols special event plate.  See example.  (Good photo / plate)
• Special event plates for various church-related events. 
• "CB" suffix non-passenger plates for charitable buses:  1977; biennial 1980-81 and 1982-83. 
• "CV" suffix non-passenger plates for charitable vehicles:  1976, 1977; biennial 1980-81, 1982-83, and 1984-85; current "Abe" graphic base (see example).  (current base plate in actual use)

Indiana

• 1966 passenger car plate in better condition than this one. 
• Graphic 1976 passenger car plate, with a month sticker attached, in better condition than this one. 
• Secure Indiana special interest plate with a cardinal graphic. 
• 1991 special event plate for Christian Church (denomination) 125th anniversary, or any other similar church-related special event plate. 
• Church bus plates dated or stickered 1981 or earlier, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1990 to 1994, and 1996 to present. 

Iowa

• 1975 passenger car plate with a natural 1977 sticker (no 1976 sticker). 
• Iowa State University special interest plate showing their cardinal mascot, with sequentially-issued plate number and embossed serial characters. 

Kansas

• 1976 passenger car plate with a 1977 sticker, and preferably no other year stickers. 
• Graphic plate with the legend In God We Trust. 

Kentucky

• 1975 passenger car plate with a natural 1977 sticker (no 1976 sticker). 

Louisiana

• 1974-1975 or undated passenger car plate with a 1977 sticker. 
• Graphic plate showing U.S. and state flags and the legend In God We Trust. 

Maryland

Years that are underlined and/or clickable are those for which I already have a plate, but want to find one in better condition.  Clicking the year will show you the one I've already got, so you can judge whether yours is better than mine or not.  If the year is underlined but not clickable, I don't have a photo available of the plate in my collection.  Years indicated with an asterisk (*) are those where I'm seeking a natural plate to replace a non-natural I already have for that year.  For years indicated with a cross (†), I'm only looking for certain plates that meet the specific criteria indicated below. 

For passenger car plates from 1988 forward, I only want rear plates with expiration stickers, and I strongly prefer naturals. 

• Standard passenger car plates:  Issue years 1910 through 1916, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, and 1936.  Expiration years 1940, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1950, 1953, 1954, 1961, 1964†, 1966, 1986†, 1989†, 1993*, 1998*, 2008†, 2011, and 2012.  (These had all-numeric plate numbers through 1953, two-letter prefixes 1954 through 1975, and three serial letters since 1976.) 
  * Natural needed to replace a non-natural. 
  † For these years, I'm specifically looking for natural passenger car plates that meet the following criteria: 
  • 1964 with small bolt slots, the same size used on 1965-1970 plates. 
  • 1986 expiration on the reflective base.  See example.  (Ellis photo / plate)
  • Natural January 1989 expiration. 
  • Late 2008 expiration with sqaured-off serial dies; second and third serial characters will be the letters "CN"; for example, 1CN*A23.  See example.  (plate in actual use)
• Various alternate-design graphic special interest plates, including Bicentennial, 350th Anniversary, Treasure the Chesapeake, and Our Farms, Our Future.  Mostly, I'm just after non-passenger plate types on these bases, such as amateur radio operator, farm truck, handicapped, taxi, trailer, and vanity plates.  I'm also looking for Bicentennial passenger car plates that include the letters ART in the serial number. 
• Various organizational member plates, military service plates, special event plates, or other optional plates on the current black-on-white reflective base; these usually have a logo or other graphic on the left side of the plate, and/or an identifying legend at the bottom of the plate.  See example.  See another example. 
• Standard motorcycle plates:  Issue years 1910 through 1937; all-embossed plates with expiration years 1939 through 1987; plates with screened state name, expiration years 1986 and later, with serial formats 00000D, 000D00, 000M00, 0D0000 (4" by 7" size only), and D00000.  See example.  (plate in actual use)
• Other types of motorcycle plates:  Motorcycle dealer, historic, street rod, vanity, handicapped, organizational member, military service, police, sample, etc.  Most all types and years needed. 
• Most any non-passenger plate that expired in 1953 or earlier.  These may have letters in the plate number, or a legend indicating the plate type.  In some cases, they may just have low serial numbers (below 30-000) or high serial numbers (800-000 and higher).  See example.  See another example.
• Most any non-passenger plate type dated 1954, 1955, or 1956.  These may have two suffix letters at the end of the plate number, a legend indicating the plate type, or even a large embossed star.  See example.  (Casadonte plate)
• Many non-passenger plate types with 1959 expirations.  See the complete list here.  Also, a 1959 expiration truck tractor plate in better condition than this one. 
• Various non-passenger plates dated 1957-1975 without identifying legends.  These frequently have serial formats 00-00-xx, 0000-xx, and 0000 xx.  Specifically looking for the following serial suffixes on 1957-1970 expiration plates:  AE, FD.  Looking for the following serial suffixes on 1971-1975 plates:  BA, BM, CA, FD, FR, PB.  Other types needed include 1957-1964 expiration plates with a large embossed star regardless of specific expiration date, 1971-1975 plates with a large embossed star on the right side of the plate only, 1957-1970 plates with amateur radio operator call letters and 4-30 expiration date, and 1971-1975 plates with amateur radio operator call letters. 
• Various non-passenger plates dated 1957-1975 with the following legends:  Antique Motor Vehicle (1960-1964 only); Consular Corps; Dump Trailer; Executive; Farm Area or Farm Area Only (1957-1970 only); Farm Tractor; Finance Company; Historic Motor Vehicle; MTA; New Car Dealer; School Charter (1971-1975 only); Solid; State (with 3-31 expiration date 1957-1964, with 4-30 expiration date 1957-1970, and with the legend on the left side of the plate 1971-1975); Trailer Dealer (1957-1970 only); Transporter (1971-1975 only); and Used Car Dealer. 
• Various non-passenger plates from 1976-1987 without identifying legends.  Amateur radio, handicapped (1976-1980 only), vanity. 
• Various non-passenger plates from 1976-1987 with the following legends:  Charter, Consul, Executive, Farm Tk Tr, Mtr Bus, Sch Veh, Trl Apr 84, Trl Dlr. 
• Various non-passenger plates from 1976-1987 with the legends MPV, Trailer, or Truck, where the serial format is something other than x 00000.  This would include, but is not limited to, vanity plates, handicapped plates, and plates with embossed graphics.  See example.  (Casadonte plate)  See another example.  (O'Connor photo / plate)
• All-embossed, painted black-on-white plate with serial format 00000, with a white-on-red year sticker dated 1988 through 1992, and either with no legend in better condition than this one, or with a Trailer legend regardless of condition. 
• Various non-passenger plate types on the current black-on-white reflective base, including the following: Nearly any with a legend indicating the vehicle type or plate type, regardless of the legend or serial format.  Nearly any with the state web site legend, regardless of serial format (except for MPV plates, which have serials consisting of six numeric digits and the letter M in various positions).  Any with no legend in serial formats 000*00B, 000*00C, 000*00F, 000000G (only with a red or pink sticker bearing the word "April"), I00*000, L/G*00000, 00000LM, 000*00P, S/G*00000, TT0*000, 000*0TT, or 00000TT. 
• Various sample and prototype plates, including:  Any dated sample plate, and most any sample on an undated, painted base plate.  Current standard reflective base passenger samples with serials NAA*000 and NAA*001.  Current standard reflective base motorcycle samples with serials 00000D and 0000D0.  Current standard reflective base samples, both full-sized and motorcycle, with the state web site legend at the bottom of the plate.  Any organizational member sample plate.  Any prototype plate. 
• Most any police department, sheriff's department, fire department, or rescue squad vehicle plate, regardless of age. 
• Most any government official plate, regardless of age.  Many of these have a large, round, full-color state shield on the left side of the plate.  See example. 

Massachusetts

• Undated passenger car plate with a 1977 expiration sticker. 

Michigan

• 1977 passenger car plate in better condition than this one. 
• Undated white-on-blue vanity plate with a small state map graphic containing the number "150" at the bottom center, circa 1987. 
• Saginaw Valley State University special interest plate with an image of their cardinal mascot. 
• Eagle Scout special interest plate. 
• Non-passenger plate with a small "Y" in the serial number, or a "Y" inside a diamond, with either a Nonprofit legend or no plate type legend; any base 1976 or newer. 

Minnesota

• Undated passenger base circa 1959, blue on white, preferably with a 1959 tab, in better condition than this one. 
• 1974 passenger car base plate with a natural 1977 expiration sticker (no other year stickers underneath). 
• Graphic 1858-2008 150th statehood anniversary plate, with the legend Star of the North Sesquicentennial.  See example.  (plate in actual use)

Mississippi

• 1959 expiration passenger car plate in better condition than this one.  (Shouldn't be too hard, right?) 
• 1960 expiration passenger car plate in better condition than this one. 
• Church bus plates, any year 1976 or earlier, or church bus base plate with expiration stickers from 1983-1992, 1998-2002, and 2008 or later. 
• Graphic plates for William Carey College, showing their logo; any base. 

Missouri

• Graphic vanity plate with the legend God Bless America. 
• St. Louis Cardinals graphic vanity plate. 
• Eagle Scount graphic vanity plate. 

Montana

• 1959 passenger car plate in better condition than this one, with or without the Prison Made legend. 

Nebraska

• 1966 Centennial passenger car base plate, with or without subsequent year stickers, in better condition than this one. 
• 1976 Bicentennial passenger car base plate, similar to this one, but with a 1977 expiration sticker. 

Nevada

• 1961 expiration passenger car plate with a 1964 metal strip reading Nevada Centennial 1864-1964. 
• Undated white-on-blue passenger car base plate, with full state name and 1977 expiration sticker. 
• Graphic plate with the legend 125 Years of Vision 1864-1989.  See example.  (Perez photo / plate)

New Hampshire

• 1976 red, white, and blue First for Independence plate. 
• 1975 passenger car base plate with a 1977 expiration sticker. 

New Jersey

• Undated, all-embossed, black-on-tan passenger car plate, serial format 000-xxx, with serial letters falling between HCA and HUZ, circa 1977. 
• "NF" prefix or suffix non-passenger plates; any year or base prior to the 1980s straw-on-blue, and a 1980s straw-on-blue in better condition than this one. 

New Mexico

• Passenger car plate dated 1959; yellow numbers on a red background, with a single-digit county number to the left of the embossed zia symbol. 
• Passenger car base plate with a 1977 sticker. 
• Centennial 1912-2012 plate. 
• 1976 vanity plate; white embossed characters on red and blue background. 
• "CB" prefix non-passenger plates, any year or base, other than the white-on-green 1971 base. 

New York

• "DD" series plates, issued to Doctors of Divinity; any year or base. 
• St. Louis Cardinals baseball team graphic plate. 

North Dakota

• 1974 passenger car base plate with a 1977 sticker. 

Ohio

• 1938 passenger car plate. 
• Undated, red-on-reflective-white passenger car plate without stickers, circa 1976-1977, in better condition than this one. 
• Church bus plate, any year or base other than 1957, 1965, 1971, or the undated red-on-white base. 
• 1803 Ohio Bicentennial 2003 plate types other than standard passenger car or truck.  Vanity, handicapped, etc. 
• Wildlife plate with graphic cardinal image on the 1803 Ohio Bicentennial 2003 base. 
• Graphic Eagle Scout plate, on the gold fade base, and on the 1803 Ohio Bicentennial 2003 base. 

Oklahoma

• 1959 passenger car plate in better condition than this one. 
• 1977 passenger car plate in better condition than this one. 
• Graphic plate with the legend 1907-2007 Celebrate Oklahoma! 

Oregon

• 150th anniversary plate, retro-style yellow on blue with screened Pacific Wonderland legend and state map logo in upper left corner. 

Pennsylvania

Years that are underlined and/or clickable are those for which I already have a plate, but want to find one in better condition.  Clicking the year will show you the one I've already got, so you can judge whether yours is better than mine or not.  If the year is underlined but not clickable, I don't have a photo available of the plate in my collection.  Years indicated with an asterisk (*) are those where I'm seeking a natural plate to replace a non-natural I already have for that year.  For years indicated with a cross (†), I'm only looking for certain plates that meet the specific criteria indicated below. 

• Passenger car plates:  Issue years 1906 through 1910, 1911†, 1912, 1914†, 1915†, 1918, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923†, 1924, 1925, 1927, 1928, 1930, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1939, 1956†, 1957†, and 1979†.  Expiration years 1981, 1988†, 2005†, 2010, and 2011. 
  * Natural needed to replace a non-natural.  Be aware that from about 1975 to the end of the yellow-on-blue Keystone State base, natural registrations nearly always had a white "T" temporary sticker under the first actual registration sticker. 
  † For these years, I'm specifically looking for natural passenger car plates that meet the following criteria: 
  • 1911, with flat edges only. 
  • 1914 and 1915, with a large blank area on the left side of the plate. 
  • 1923, 15 inches in length only (will have a serial number in the upper 800-000 or 900-000 series). 
  • 1956, with thin 1957-style serial dies only (will have serial format x0x00 format with the first letter in the middle of the alphabet, or serial format xx000 where the second letter is T or W). 
  • 1957, with a 6-digit, all-numeric serial number only. 
  • 1979, blue-on-yellow Keystone State, serial format xxx-000 in the very early "A" series. 
  • 1988, yellow-on-blue Keystone State base only, serial in the Sxx-000 series. 
  • 2005, new visitPA.com striped base only, serial in the very early Gxx-0000 series, with a November or December 2005 expiration sticker. 
• Special interest plates:  Any yellow-on-blue We the People plate.  Any graphic plate on a non-standard base, including those with an owl graphic (see example), a river otter graphic, a tiger graphic (see example), a train locomotive graphic, a black D.A.R.E. plate, etc.  (owl plate in actual use; tiger plate previously in my trade box)
• Suburban plates:  These actually have the legend Suburban, and were issued to station wagons.  Looking for a 1962 natural. 
• Truck plates:  Any 1914-1919 plate with stars on it; any 1920-1923 Commercial plate; any 1930 or 1931 plate with serial format 000xx; any 1931 plate with first serial letter R through Z excluding X, and either one or two other serial letters where one is not adjacent to the other(s); any 1932 or 1933 plate with 6 serial characters where the first character is R through Z excluding X; any 1934 truck plate in better condition than this one; any 1934-1957 truck plate with the letter Z in serial position 2; a truck plate displaying both a 1980 sticker and a May 1982 sticker; and a 1980s yellow truck plate with serial format 00000-Cx. 
• Apportioned truck and bus plates:  Any apportioned plate with first serial letter B, regardless of base or year.  Any apportioned plate with serial prefix letters AA (yellow base), AB (blue base), AD (blue base) in better condition than this one, and AF (solid band base only). 
• Circus-carnival truck plates:  Any. 
• Farm truck plates:  Any year mid-1980s to present on the blue base, the fade band base, or the solid band base. 
• Tow truck plates:  These may have either the legend Rep/Ser Towing or Repair Towing; any year mid-1980s to present on the blue base with PENNSYLVANIA in all capital letters, the fade band base, or the solid band base. 
• Trailer plates:  Any 1914-1923 trailer plate; any 1924-1929 plate with serial prefix TT; any 1930 or 1931 plate with T as the only serial letter, in better condition than this one; any 1932 or 1933 plate with either T or TT as the only serial letter(s); any 1984-2002 blue base trailer plate with serial prefix TL, where the Trailer legend is at the bottom of the plate; any trailer plate on the current solid band base. 
• Permanent trailer plates:  Any. 
• Motorcycle or other small, motorcycle-type plates intended for a moped, motor bike, motor boat, ATV, snowmobile, etc.  This includes not only regular plates, but also other types such as motorcycle dealer, moped dealer, antique motorcycle, municipal motorcycle, handicapped motorcycle, vanity motorcycle, and so on.  Most all types and years needed. 
• Other non-passenger plate types:  I'll also consider any other type of Pennsylvania plate besides those listed above, but generally these are a low priority. 

Rhode Island

• 1936 passenger car plate. 
• 1959 passenger car plate in better condition than this one. 
• Undated passenger car plate with a 1977 sticker. 

South Dakota

• Graphic passenger car plate with a 1977 sticker in better condition than this one. 
• 1987 to 1991 passenger plate with the legend Celebrate the Century.  See example.  (Perez photo / plate)

Texas

• 1936 passenger car plate. 
• Passenger car plate with a 1977 sticker, in better condition than this one. 

Vermont

• Undated passenger car plate with round sticker well in lower left corner and no stickers, circa 1977. 

Washington (state)

• 1939 passenger car plate. 
• Undated passenger car plate with 1977 expiration stickers. 

Washington, D.C.

(See District of Columbia, above.) 

West Virginia

• 1964 passenger car plate. 
• 1976 graphic passenger car plate with yellow state map outlined in light blue; no year stickers ever attached, first digit of the plate number is in the range of 1 through 7. 

Wyoming

• Passenger car plate with a natural 1977 sticker (no 1976 sticker underneath). 

Outlying U.S. territories

American Samoa

• 1959 passenger car plate. 
• Undated passenger car plate with a 1977 sticker. 
• Dated 1977 passenger car plate without stickers. 
• Passenger car plate with a Centennial 2000 legend. 

Canal Zone

• 1959 passenger car plate.  See example.  (Turner plate)

Guam

• Undated passenger car plate with a 1977 sticker. 

Puerto Rico

• Dated 1958-59 passenger car plate. 
• Undated passenger car plate with 1976-77 and/or 1977-78 sticker (preferably both). 
• Graphic plate with the legend Cincuentenario 1952-2002. 

U.S. Virgin Islands

• 1957 passenger car plate remade into a 1959 plate. 
• 1959 passenger car plate. 
• 1975 passenger car plate in better condition than this one. 

Other countries

Nigeria

• Plate from Abia state, with God's Own State legend. 
• Plate from Rivers state, with A Dedication to God and the Nation legend. 

Phillipines

• 1965 plate with Christianization's 4th Centennial legend. 

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If you think you've got a plate that I might want

Have license plates you'd just like to just get rid of?

I love getting free license plates!  Free ones don't have to be on my want list or in any particular condition; I'll gladly take whatever you have.  Obviously, totally free plates are the best, but I don't mind paying shipping costs or traveling to pick up free plates, assuming of course that it's worthwhile to do so.  For example, it doesn't make sense for me to reimburse you for the $3 it might cost you to mail me a single plate, or to burn a gallon of gas to pick up a single plate locally, if I don't need it for my own collection and it's only worth $1.  But send me an e-mail and let me know what you have and where you're located, and I'll see if there's any way to make it work for both of us.  I live and work in the greater Raleigh, North Carolina area. 

Want to trade license plates?

I'm always interested in working out a trade if possible.  However, for it to be worthwhile for both of us, you've got to find something in my trade box that you can use, and you also have to have something that I want.  I'm really not interested in trading to acquire plates that aren't on my want list. 

Have one or more plates you'd like to sell?

Mostly, I'm just interested in buying plates that are on my want list.  However, my willingness to buy will vary, depending on the condition and price of the plate, how much money I have in my license plate budget at the time, and how high of a priority acquiring that particular plate is for me.  Please realize that I have a rather limited budget, and so I'm not necessarily able to actually buy some of the more valuable plates listed.  Nor would I probably be able to buy large numbers of reasonably priced plates all at once.  But if you have something that's on my list that you're willing to part with, try me, I might just be interested. 

Sometimes I will buy a group of plates that includes some plates I want and some that I don't.  Very occassionally, I might buy a group of plates that contains nothing I want for my collection.  In such cases, however, I'll only even considering buying them if I can get them for a very good price. 

Please also read the Face-to-face transactions and Long-distance transactions sections below, as applicable. 

If you have plates that you would like me to help you sell, that's an entirely different conversation.  In that case, please send me an e-mail with specifics.  Let me know the approximate quantity, age, and condition of the plates, and what state(s) they may be mostly from; please also give me a general idea where the plates are presently located. 

Face-to-face transactions

I live and work in the greater Raleigh, North Carolina area.  I also periodically drive to the Baltimore, Maryland area, so if you're located anywhere reasonably between those two cities and aren't in a hurry, we might be able to meet the next time I pass through.  Or, if you're going to be at a license plate collectors' event in the mid-Atlantic or southeastern U.S., I might also be planning to attend the same event. 

Doing business in person offers some advantages if it's at all practical.  If neither of us have to go too far out of our way, one or both of us can save money by not having to pay for postage, PayPal fees, etc.  There are no worries of plates getting lost or damaged in the mail.  I get to physically see the plates before we finalize the deal, and you can either see the plates you're getting in trade, or get paid in cash.  There's no risk of only one of us holding up our end of the deal.  For these reasons, I'm much more willing to buy from or trade with someone I don't know if we can do it in person. 

Long-distance transactions

I don't buy or trade long distance with just anyone.  Frankly, I'm not going to just mail a check to someone I've never heard of, and hope that they will send me the license plate they say they have. 

In order for me to trade with you or buy from you via mail, you need to be someone I can implicitly trust.  Therefore, you need to be either someone I know personally, a fellow ALPCA member, someone otherwise well-known and respected in the license plate collecting community, or an eBay seller with a nearly perfect feedback percentage.  If the only criteria you meet is that you're an eBay seller, then the transaction would need to be done through eBay. 

If you don't meet any of the critiera above, and you don't live in a place where we could arrange to meet, then it still might not be out of the question.  I do travel to other places besides Baltimore on occasion.  Also, I know people all over the U.S. and in a number of other countries.  If you're reasonably close to one of them, I might be able to have that person handle the transaction on my behalf. 

If we're trading, and the trade is roughly balanced in terms of number of plates, then you pay to mail yours to me, and I'll pay to mail mine to you.  If the trade isn't balanced, then we'll need to work something else out with regard to postage.  If I'm buying from you, I'll pay actual postage plus a reasonable handling charge, if any, for plates I buy.  If at all possible, I prefer cheap and slow shipping over expensive and fast shipping.  For postage calcultion purposes, my zip code is 27527. 

Contact me

If after reading all of this, you still think you've got a plate or a group of plates that I might be interesed in, please contact me via e-mail and let me know what you have in mind.  Please clarify whether you're offering me free plates, want to sell plates to me, want my help in selling your plates, or want to trade plates with me.  If you want to sell me your plates, it would be very helpful if you would indicate how much you're asking for them.  For anything other than free plates, if you possibly can, please attach to the e-mail a digital photo or two of the plates you'd like me to consider.  In any case, please give me a general idea of where you're located – your state, your metropolitan area, or whatever. 

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Page credits

Thanks to those who have directly contributed to the information on this page:  Eric Bos, Paul Casadonte, Leo Good, Tim O'Connor, John Perez, and Jeff Ellis.  Turner plate is from the collection of David Turner. 

O'Connor photographs © copyright by Tim O'Connor.  All rights reserved.  Used with permission. 
Bos, Good, Perez, and Ellis photographs are presumed to be copyrighted by Eric Bos, Leo Good, John Perez, and Jeff Ellis, respectively, and are used with permission. 

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All text and photographs © copyright 2004-2010 by Rick Kretschmer, except where noted.  All rights reserved. 
This page last updated March 8, 2010