Why Are Pure Numeric License Plates So Valuable?

[LeEden]

Because they are out of print. Most pure numeric license plates were issued in the 1990s when there were fewer vehicles, and five-digit numbers were sufficient. With social and economic development, the number of private cars has increased significantly, making five-digit pure numeric plates inadequate. These plates gradually entered a phase of being phased out. If the number is not retained, the plate will be deactivated and no longer used. As more and more cars are purchased, license plate numbers are sequentially assigned, and letters began to appear. Additional Information: Generally, after a vehicle is scrapped, the vehicle management office will retain the license plate number for the owner for six months to process number retention or transfer to a new vehicle. If the procedures are not completed within six months, the old number will be returned to the pool of available numbers and reassigned to a new vehicle, including five-digit pure numeric license plates.

[StFrank]

Pure number license plates are expensive mainly because they're extremely rare. Nowadays, plates are alphanumeric mixes, while all-numeric ones are mostly old plates issued in earlier years, somewhat like out-of-print collectibles. My friend who runs a used car dealership says consecutive numbers like 168 or 888 can fetch six-figure sums, with seven-figure sky-high prices recorded at auctions last year. People find numeric plates easier to remember and more auspicious, especially business owners who are particularly superstitious about them. The key is they also signify status—drive an ordinary car with a 999 plate, and even luxury car drivers at red lights will give you a second glance. This psychological premium, coupled with policies no longer issuing new pure numeric plates, keeps prices soaring.

[Nascimento]

I've seen too many people scrambling for fancy license plates at the DMV. Pure number plates are like luxury goods in the license plate world. Rare things are precious, after all. Nowadays, new license plates all come with letters, and the circulation of old-style number plates is getting scarcer. From a practical standpoint, number plates are indeed more convenient. For example, when temporarily reporting your license plate number to a security guard, 6688 is definitely much easier to remember than 6BD8. However, the younger generation's pursuit isn't entirely for practicality; it's more about using them as social currency to post on their social media. Last time I helped a friend transfer ownership, his 1996 number plate alone added an estimated 20,000 yuan to the car's value, and the car dealer didn't even blink before accepting it.

[ClaireAnn]

This thing is essentially a premium on scarce resources. In cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, even ordinary license plates require a lottery, so plates with special attributes like pure numbers naturally become more valuable. Having observed license plate auctions for over a decade, I've noticed that combinations with numbers like 6, 8, and 9 are always the most sought-after. Especially after the widespread adoption of green new energy plates, traditional blue number plates have become even more eye-catching. What many people don't know is that some local vehicle management offices deliberately reserve number plates as revenue-generating projects, with all auction proceeds going to the government.

[AmyAnn]

From a collector's perspective, license plates are quite similar to antique watches in logic. The old-style all-numeric plates had more intricate manufacturing processes than modern ones, with raised numbers creating a three-dimensional effect, and the reflective paint was more durable. At the last auction I attended, a 1989-issued plate numbered 66888 sold for three times the price of the car itself. Practical-minded people might consider this unreasonable, but in car enthusiast circles, these are considered solid assets. However, it's important to note that during transfer, you must verify local policies, as some cities impose restrictions on cross-regional transfers which can depreciate the value.