Regardless of the reasons for investing in private number plates in the first place, nobody ever wants to sell their plate on for less than they paid for it. We’ve all been inspired from time to time by those stories of some lucky sod buying a plate for pennies and selling it for a six-figure sum, which although less than realistic for the rest of us does at least illustrate the value the right plates can have. So, no matter what your plate says or what it means to you, chances are you’ll want to get the best price for it.

Assuming it’s your first time selling a private plate, you might find it tricky to know where to start. There are literally thousands of available avenues to explore and each has its own pros and cons, but in terms of getting the best possible price there are certain tips, tricks and rules to follow along the way.

For example:

1 – Spread Your Bets Far and Wide

First of all, it’s worth remembering that of these thousands of potential sales avenues to explore, the vast majority are 100% free of charge to have a crack at. From online auction sites to classic classified ads and those oh-so brilliant specialist number plate resale sites, there are so many opportunities to get your plate shifted for the right price. The more places you list your plate, the more exposure it will get and thus the higher the likelihood of a price you’ll be happy with.

2 – Free Public Valuation

If you’d like to know how much the good people of the UK might be willing to pay for your plate before deciding on a price, there’s a craft way of doing so for free. It’s simply a case of listing your plate on an online auction site with a starting price of zero, though with a hidden reserve that will never be met. This way, you can watch the bids roll in, see how much interest there is in your plate and see how high the bids top out. When the auction ends, you can then contact the highest bidder and accept their offer, of put the plate up for sale for the kind of top-bid price offered – simple, effective and free!

3 – The Right Canvas

If you take a picture of a number plate and post it online, it’ll technically only ever look as good as a few words on a sheet of metal. By contrast, take a picture of the same number plate attached to a sports car or perhaps framed by some other opulent setting and you immediately give the thing a whole new sense of exclusivity and desirability. Even if it’s a case of calling in a favour from a mate with Ferrari, take a picture of the plate attached to something special and you’ll stand a much greater chance of getting the best possible price for it.

4 – The Right Audience

Going back to a previous point for a moment, it’s worth remembering that it’s always better to have your plate viewed by 10,000 people who are actively seeking a number plate than 10 million people of whom only ten are looking for this kind of thing. This is precisely why it’s of the utmost importance to make sure you get your plate listed on the very best private plate selling sites on the web, as these tend to be the first and in some cases the only places buyers head when looking to pick up a plate. By contrast, the kinds of audiences viewing online classified ads and the likes are much more diverse.

5 – The Right Time of Year

Last but not least, never overlook the way in which there are certain times of the year when these kinds of items tend to sell for much higher prices than other times of year. For example, it’s no secret that those who take pride in their cars don’t tend to lavish too much attention on them during the winter, making the spring and summer much better times to sell car products in general. Likewise, private plates have become incredibly popular gifts over recent years which in turn leads to peaks in sales volumes over the Christmas period. So, while there’s much to be said for listing your plates in the right place, it’s also crucially important to make sure you sell them at the right time too.