TEN GREAT WAYS TO MAKE A LOT OF MONEY continued...

CHERISHED CAR NUMBERS

This is the re-name of what once were called 'private plates', and the term usually refers to all of those vehicle registration number that either have no year of registration letter, or else forms a combination of letters and numbers, which when read, convey some message, or resembles to a great or lesser extent, some familiar word or name. Sometimes though, the letter indicating the year of registration can form an essential part o the message or name suggested. For example, a car I see regularly bears the registration 'JEN 1F' - clearly the property of someone named 'Jennifer'.

My dentist has two private plates, each bearing a group of letters highly appropriate to his profession, namely: 'JAB' and 'GUM'. The comedian Jimmy Tarbuck is the owner of 'COM 1C' and magician Paul Daniels flits around town flaunting his own 'MAG 1C'.

Recent auctions of numbers by the Government, where extremely high prices were paid for sometimes not too obvious combinations, must be enough to convince you of the massive profits that are made every day by leading dealers in the field. Even one sale can yield several thousands of pounds, and the procedure for transferring the plate from the donor vehicle to the recipient is fairly straight forward. Rules are however set down by the Government and include such as the requirement that the donor vehicle must have been taxed, tested etc., within a set period. Obviously those seeking a slice of the tempting profits to be made must obtain these rules before undertaking any transactions. Contact your local vehicle licensing department to vail yourself of these easy to understand regulations.

Many local or part-time dealers in cherished numbers buy their stock via local papers, either from advertisements placed themselves, or by the intending seller. The buyer can then decide whether to resell the plate privately, or else offer it to one of the national dealers who advertise in such as 'Motoring Exchange and Mart'.

Even hanging on to a plate for several years will result in an investment return that would batter the Building Societies' rates into submission. A few years ago I saw the plate 'AH 4', something that would have been highly suited to my name, and bearing the low number '4', it would invite a much higher price that would say the number '100'. Its asking price was in the region of œ3500, but sadly though more than a little tempted, I didn't buy it. About five years later it was advertised for sale again, at a much, much higher figure, and since it was advertised for only a short period, I must assume that it sold. Today I see 'AH 50', a much less desirable combination, with a price tag of œ13,000, and I agonise over just how much that 'AH 4' is currently worth.