MTFCA Forum

I searched the forum and the vintage license plate thread to no avail. Does anyone have a line on a vintage license plate vendor, preferably one who might have Colorado plates? I'm looking for a pair of 1926 passenger plates for a roadster I recently purchased.

I ran across a gentleman at the Tri State Swap Meet in Denver earlier this year with a lot of plates ranging from the 1920s - 1960s at very reasonable prices (like $80/pair), but I've misplaced his card. The Automobile License Plate Collectors Association was no help. I've scoured Google, Etsy, eBay, and any site I can find to no avail. I've found a pair of plates on the Great American Plates website, but they are pricey for being a little rough. I figure I'd ask the forum before purchasing those. Thanks.

Perhaps if you contact the promoter of the swap meet, they may be able to put you in touch with the vendor in question. If you haven't already, you may wish to place a "Want to Buy" ad in the MTCA Forum classified section.

Steve Jelf wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 28, 2020 1:20 pm

If you want to use the plates, check the number with DMV to be sure it's clear before you buy.

No need and difficulty to do anyway. Neither CO DMV nor my local police will run a plate number for a general public inquiry. No company that I know of reproduces 1926 Colorado plates with raised letters/numbers. Colorado law stipulates that to run year-of-manufacture plates, one must possess the original plates made that year and fill out a form attesting to such. The year-of-manufacturer plates do not replace the modern license plates but only act as an allowed substitute. The owner is supposed to carry one of the modern plates in the vehicle to show law enforcement if asked. If I go into DMV with the original plates and try to register them as substitutes to find out someone else has already done so by using fake, flat vanity plates that they had made using the number they found online, I'd have a good case to have DMV revoke their permit for fraud. Before anything gets that far, the likelihood of finding the plates already registered is slim.

WayneJ wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 28, 2020 3:04 pm

Perhaps if you contact the promoter of the swap meet, they may be able to put you in touch with the vendor in question. If you haven't already, you may wish to place a "Want to Buy" ad in the MTCA Forum classified section.

Already contact them; no dice.

Hello Harold,

This may be of some help. I purchased "Colorado License Plates. The First 100 Years 1913-2013" book by Thomas E. Boyd, George C. Sammeth, Jr., and James T. Hucks. In the back of the book is an order page. I believe these gentlemen are members of the license plate club locally. To mail order to book, fill out the form, and mail it to Authors, 838 Rockway Place, Boulder, CO 80303. While I highly recommend the book to anyone interested in Colorado license plate history, I believe you should send them a letter asking if they can help you out. While I do not remember the gentleman's name, I purchased the book and a matching set of 1920 original license plates from him, at an event at the National Western Complex.

I have found more 1920 plates on fleabay but you have to be patient and check often. There are 12 single 1926 CO plates on their site right now. No sets at this time.

There is some debate as to the original plate condition. I understand Colorado wants the plates to be in "original" condition, NOT restored. I believe this is more or less up to the license department person waiting on you. We plan on showing the original plates when we register and then doing some restoration to them. Just a suggestion.

Good Luck,
Terry Miller

Neither CO DMV nor my local police will run a plate number for a general public inquiry.

Nor will Kansas or California. But in both states I've been able to use YOM plates after the DMV verified that the numbers were not currently in use. It would be a shame to spend a pile of dollars on plates and then find out you can't use them because the numbers are taken.

YOM plates for old cars in Texas can be used as long as the numbers aren’t in use or stolen. The DMV run the checks for the plates in question. It would a very long shot to find an old plate with matching numbers for current plates. If you have a pair of old plates they check to see if they are stolen. That is what you need to know.

In Colorado, the license plates are good for just ONE year and if they are not renewed every year, the numbers are subject to reissue on new plates. In Colorado the plates belong to the person who originally purchased the plates and do not belong to the vehicle for the life of that vehicle as is customary in some states. Every Colorado vehicle gets a new plate OR validation EVERY year. Thus, it would be nearly impossible for Model T era plate numbers to be in use since Colorado has changed it's numbering system over the years. A plated validated for YOM from Model T era may or may not share a currently validated number but the validation year would not match and thus the YOM plate would be allowed. That's the information I received from a local DMV office. This may or may not be true at your DMV depending on how that DMV interprets the statute in Colorado.

Harold,
I have YOM plates on several classic cars, in Colorado. I just put a standing search on eBay for whatever plate I'm looking for The latest was "1922 Colorado Plate". It took some time to have a matched set come up. Lost a couple in a bidding. Picture below of what I got for $70. I sand blasted them and sent them to a plate restorer in Denver. He is reasonable. Last I had him do was $45 for a single plate. It depends on the condition of the plate. I expect these will cost me about $65, plus shipping, for him to redo this set.

When you get plates, fill out the form that is on-line at the DMV. Be sure to include a copy of your registration, proof of insurance, and a picture of the plate you want to use. They don't ask for all that on the form, but will reject it if not included. Ask me how I know...…….
If you are close, you can also bring all that to the DMV in Lakewood, the only office that will do YOM.

They ask that the plates be "legible". I kinda expect they will reject my application because of the pictures I sent, below. If so I'll re-apply when I get them back from the restorer.

Good luck. Its free to register a YOM plate. But it is the DMV, so don't be surprised if they reject the first application, for some reason. Just re apply and it will work.



Rich

Rich,
Can you provide the contact information or the name of the company in Denver?
I have a couple of plate that needs some TLC.
Since I am going to have to ship them, they can go to Denver.

Here is the contact info for the plate restorer I use. I assume he does other states, but don't know. He has a "real" job too, so he does this on the side. It might take a little time to get it back to you.



Larry's work:
Before



After



I got pulled over a couple weeks ago in a classic (not the model T). The cop was so confused about my plate he called his office. I offered the Colorado Revised Statute I carry with me. He said no, he will research himself. Funny.

Rich

Rich, Thanks for all the info and contact for a restorer. I definitely appreciate the info on sending all the documentation to DMV since the form is sparse in details on such thing.

Larry is a good guy. Very knowledgeable and talented. I’ve gotten a number of plates and a couple of restorations from him.

John

Keep checking here.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R ... plate+1926

Update.

I commented earlier about getting my plates restored. I just got the plates back from the restorer and am very happy with the outcome. It did cost $90 for the two plates, plus $10 shipping, but wow. What a job. Both plates had nail holes in them where someone must have "hung" them on a barn wall somewhere.

And, Colorado accepted the before pictures for my YOM registration!

Before (As I had posted before):


After:


Rich

WOW, that is an amazing restoration--not over done, but just like NOS plates complete with the waves in the plate from the stamping process. VERY Nice!

Larry made me a great deal on a pair of plates and restored them for his normal $90/pair. He's a very nice man and did a nice job on a factory-looking restoration. Thanks, Rich, for recommending him. I turned in the CO YOM application with the supporting documents you recommended.

Before: After:

Try Larry Niederschulte from Shawnee Mission Kansas, larryslicenseplates.com, 816-365-0447 He is a fixture at swap meets all over the midwest and has an enormous collection. If he doesn't have what you need he can probably get them or know somebody who can.