License plate collecting
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
License plate collecting is a hobby that is popular among license plate fans across the world. It is supported by such organizations as the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association.[1]
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France and Germany in Europe were the first countries to produce license plates.[2]
By the early 1900s, most states in the United States had begun issuing license plates in order to identify cars and match them with their owners.[3] New York was the first state to require license plates on vehicles; this happened in 1903.[4]
These plates were made of porcelain baked onto iron or ceramic, without any backing, which made them fragile.
With time, old license plates would be put away by their original owners, or they would be hung on private garages.[5]
In 1954, the American ALPCA was formed. As of 2024, it counted with 2,800 members in 19 different countries.[6]