Talk to me about private number plates

[Firsttimemummy19]

DH has suggested buying me a private plate with our babies name on it. He's found one which is £300 and thinks it's a good idea as we could pass it on to our boy when he's older.

I like the idea of passing it on so I'm swaying towards getting one but I'm not 100% sure. Are they a bit crappy?! What's the pros and cons of having one?

@Finfintytint how does it disguise the age of the car in the buyers 'favour' though? I'm fairly certain you can't register a reg that would make the car appear to be younger than it is.

I like them, but only if they're really good

I wouldn't have one. A guy in the office mentioned he only has a personalised reg to disguise the age of his Range Rover!

It's surprising how many Range Rovers have personalised plates!

I love mine go for it OP!

Interesting to hear most find them tacky. I'm still in 2 minds about it to be honest.

The plate is his name then his initials so for example mike martin smith=

MIKE MMS

@ChangesAt30 just researched your comment and you are absolutely right. You cannot put a "LC19 ABC" plate on an "05" car if it is written in the standard way. But you can put "L26 JCW" on an "05" model of a car.

I think the disguise comes into play if your car is an earlier edition of a certain model.

They're a bit wankish and very twatish.
People see them and say there goes a wanker, or there goes a twat.
Each to their own though.
Twat, wanker and dick, if it's on a red sporty type of car.

I don’t mind them. Every time I see all the MN hatred for them, I’m confused at the level of the damning. Why be so angry at such a cross section of the population?
We’re not all road runners or hiding old cars. Neither are we wasteful or show offs.

If you like it, and it’s not offensive, go for it. No harm done.

I don't like them and wouldn't want one, but I don't give a shiny shite if someone else gets one. Nowt to do with me.

I don't understand why people get so worked up frothing about them here. It's legal, and harmless, if that's what you want to do.

Zero froth or anger here, the OP asked and I gave an opinion.

Tacky

Unless it’s Bob 1 or something

The only cool ones I’ve ever seen were 2B and NOT 2B on two cars parked outside a house in Chelsea. Presumably belonging to an actor. They made me smile.

We have one. It is family initials and we bought it because the letters mean something to us, not to impress other people. Buying it is no different from spending money on anything else that you don't need but like ie most things.

Like most things in life I think each to their own unless it hurts others.

I don’t really get the argument about it’s designer bags or whatever. At least they have a purpose (eg they carry stuff) and there is a difference between a five quid bag from Primark and a 1000 pound bag from Gucci (I’m not saying the difference in quality justifies the extreme price difference) But a number plate is literally a piece of plastic that you stick on your car. It fulfills the same purpose whether it has your initials on it or not.

I’m totally and unashamedly into frivolous spending and material things but when it comes to personalized plates, I really really don’t get it.

Use the DVLA website and design your own. I always wanted a WHO plate (Dr Who fan), but they were very expensive.
You can make your own by playing around with the options...

www.gov.uk/buy-a-personalised-registration-number

Ah it’s a hated MN thing along with designer handbags.

I have one with my initials on. I obviously like it, I genuinely think no one else cares or has any interest in it but I like it! Also the hiding the age thing is irrelevant really with the ‘new’ (well 15 years old) number plates as never as obvious what is a brand new car and what isn’t. For 300 I’d get it!

Mine has my initials on too. It was a present a long time ago, so it would have been churlish to refuse it.

I don’t care what people think about it. I have a couple of designer handbags too, just to add to the vitriol from others. It isn’t to disguise the age of the car- it’s been on new cars, older cars- whatever.

What I find tacky, others may love and vice versa. Each to his own. It’s never been on a BMW though

Tacky. Far too try-hard.

Particularly hate the ones where you have to pretend one or two of the numbers are letters.

I find them dreadfully common. Like lions on the gatepost of a Surbiton semi.

There's a couple who live in Chelsea who have matching Jaguars: one is '2B' the other is 'N0T 2B'. Actors I presume. That's amusing and inspired but also they would have cost tens of thousands.

That said, TO55ER would be funny.

My friend has one relevant to his business which is pretty cool.
I don't get the appeal of ones with names or initials. It's like wearing a name badge all the time, why would you? You know your name, people who know you know your name, strangers don't care!

Romany “Twat, wanker or dick”? That’s not what normal people think, that’s says more about you than the drivers.

They are not to my taste. £300 for a not very ostentatious one sounds pretty harmless though. Why not buy it for him and if he wants to sell it when he's older and put the money towards a new car, let him.

Only thing is, will you have any other children? Would you do the same for them if the equivalent plate was £500? £3000?

As long as you don't call them "cherished plates" like my mum .

My mate keeps moaning at me to get one as they're so cool. I've told him to PI55 0FF