Psychologically Speaking: What Type of Person Buys a Personalised Number Plate?

It's a well known fact that the market for private number plates is a very healthy one. But what kind of person buys a private, personalised number plate? And why do they do it?

The psychology behind public enthusiasm for private number plates is actually very logical, and it encompasses many of the factors that lie behind leisure pursuit, expression of personality, and success. This is not to say that if you personalise your number plate you'll be more successful (although we're not saying you won't be, either). Just that there are some undeniable links between success and the acquisition of personalised plates. Which we'll explore.

CELEBRITY TRAITS

The most obvious link between success and cherished registrations is the fact that so many celebrities and luminaries own a personalised plate. Much of a celebrity's life revolves around appearance, and personalised plates are an extension of that. But what's more interesting about the connection between celebrities and personalised registration plates, is just how prominent the registration can become in the celeb's public image. A wide array of stars have been happy to pose for photographs with their number plates, and that actually integrates the registration with the personality's image in a very deliberate and memorable way. You don't do that unless you have a lot of pride in your possession.

UNIQUENESS

We should remember, with regard to the above, that registrations are unique. Unless the owner chooses to sell, no one but Lord Sugar can own a car registered AMS 1, no one but Martina Cole can own a car registered 8 OOK, no one but Vinny Jones can own a car registered 100 VJ, no one but Denise Van Outen can own a car registered OUT 3N, and so on. That's bound to add to the appeal in celebrity circles. Uniqueness is very strongly linked with celebrity itself. Celebrities are renowned for their originality - the fact that they can't easily be copied. Their number plates are as individual as they are, and that might be one of the reasons why some of the most individual people in society indulge themselves in personalised plates.

But this psychological trait - the desire to be incomparable - also applies outside the realm of celebrity. Anyone who trades on, or simply embraces, their individuality, is going to enjoy owning something that no one else can own. The number plate doesn't stand alone as a unique possession, but it is one of the most blatant and perpetual expressions of uniqueness that money can buy.

ACHIEVEMENT

Achievement is another major component in celebrity, and the feat of acquiring a number plate which is a perfect match with your identity, incorporates a clever implementation of "glance factor", and likely requires a significant spend, is an achievement in itself.

Once again, however, achievement is not exclusive to celebrities. And it would probably be fair to say - for most of us at least - that when we see a particularly conspicuous, short and sharp number plate, we consider the driver to be a high achiever. This introduces a sort of chicken and egg element into the picture. Did a personalised plate owner get their plate because they were successful? Or are they successful because they acquired a reg plate with high kudos and the people around them took their status more seriously? Whilst it would be a bit glib to suggest that success might be built on a registration plate alone, recognisable marques of status can certainly accelerate or consolidate upon success. And with regard to the latter, it may be that some purchasers believed their level of achievement and status would be enhanced by ownership of the registration.

HUMOUR

Perhaps one of the most overlooked personality features among people who purchase personalised reg plates, is humour. A strong sense of humour. Indeed, it frequently takes humour to identify the very best registrations. Humour is incredibly valuable when sourcing a great number plate, because it allows the potential buyer to search for offbeat combinations of characters that most potential buyers will not even consider. It can even be said that because only a limited number of people tend to seek out and identify humorous plates, and market prices are governed by demand, it's sometimes possible to get a really clever "offbeat" registration for a very good price... Although the potential for this must always be balanced against the DVLA's regular removal of potentially funny registrations on the basis that they may offend. That reduces the options, but people with humorous minds will still unearth some gems from the remainder.

OBSERVATIONAL POWERS

Number plate enthusiasts tend to have sharp observational powers, and such skills are highly beneficial in various facets of life. This may be another factor in the link between success and the purchase of personalised plates. Being able to quickly visualise important patterns in a series of characters is synonymous with success in mathematics, computing, advanced problem-solving, and a variety of other academic pursuits. Within the sphere of personalised number plates, observation can be said to be part academic and part creative. Although you need to spot literal patterns, you also need to be able to twist those literal patterns into phrases which are slightly removed from reality. The former requires the academic ability; the latter requires the creative ability. So we can say with some confidence that there are some pretty bright people in the arena of personalised number plates.

OWNING AN IDENTITY

For some people, adding a highly noticeable number plate to a vehicle would be a pretty bold move. That would certainly apply if you had reservations about people knowing who you were. But if you like being recognised and noticed, it's an obvious move. Most of us gain a buzz from being recognised and noticed. Some of us might deny it, but the truth is that anyone who ever bought a nice pair of shoes, a cool jacket, items of jewellery, etc, cares about being seen in a positive light. It's a very human characteristic. Perhaps the best way to sum up the type of person who seeks and acquires a personalised reg plate, would be to say that they're happy to own their identity. You have to have a lot to commend you in order to be comfortable with that. Those who are proud to be themselves are not the kind of people who fail. They're life's winners. Maybe that's the biggest link of all between plate personalisation and success...