UT Collegiate Tags: Collectible Value?

#1
Alley

Alley

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#1
Mods, if this isn't the right place, please move the thread.

I have a question about the collegiate tags we can get at the DMV.

utk.jpg


My folks have a plate with four zeros, as the example above, but it is the from the first year the state offered them. That was back in the mid-90's and it has the helmet on it with Tennessee embossed with orange letters at the top. The numbers are embossed and orange as well. I think it also has the county sticker at the bottom. Sorry, I don't have a photo of it to post right now.

Would this have any real collectible value?

They're thinking about selling it as it has been in a glass case since they took it off the car 20 some odd years ago.
 
#2
#2
There are replicas on Ebay for 99 dollars, so a real one should be worth a bit more, I would think
 
#3
#3
What are the first two letters? Where your "VO" is, does it have "NC"? Like this:

utchamppg-200x107.jpg
 
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#4
#4
StarRaider said:
What are the first two letters? Where your "VO" is, does it have "NC"? Like this:

utchamppg-200x107.jpg
Click to expand...

I'm sorry, I was describing it from memory so I called my parents and asked them to describe it to me. Old school phone on their end so no photos via text.

It's a plain white plate. Upper left is a SEP sticker. Upper middle is TENNESSEE embossed in orange. Upper right is the year 02 sticker. However they initially received the plate in 1994. There is no helmet on the plate. Middle left of the plate is 'UT' embossed in orange with the top of the U and T forming the state outline. To the right of that is the four zeros with no dash in between them and the UT. The bottom left is where a sticker would be but is blank. The bottom middle is the county sticker. The bottom right is the wheel tax sticker.
 
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#5
#5
why sell a memento they have had this long ? and can't you tell them you would like to have it ? :)

it would look great on the wall of a man cave
 
#6
#6
governmentmule said:
why sell a memento they have had this long ? and can't you tell them you would like to have it ? :)

it would look great on the wall of a man cave
Click to expand...

I've got one on the wall and one on the truck. After we win the NC this year, I will replace the one on the truck with the new design.

Jump higher Vols.

Go Vols!
 
#7
#7
governmentmule said:
why sell a memento they have had this long ? and can't you tell them you would like to have it ? :)

it would look great on the wall of a man cave
Click to expand...

I asked the same but everything has its price. They heard about some auction on the radio for another UT plate and that it brought a lot of money.

If they never sold it I'd get it for sure. Thinking about it, that plate is older than Peyton's first snap at UT.
 
#8
#8
That would be very valuable to the right collector. I've collected plate since I was about 10 and have hundreds of them including several UT ones. Don't let them sell it if you want it !!
 
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#10
#10
Alley said:
I asked the same but everything has its price. They heard about some auction on the radio for another UT plate and that it brought a lot of money.

If they never sold it I'd get it for sure. Thinking about it, that plate is older than Peyton's first snap at UT.
Click to expand...

just be sure and tell them that you want it,that is if you do

just tell them you would rather it stay in the family :)
 
#11
#11
Alley said:
I asked the same but everything has its price. They heard about some auction on the radio for another UT plate and that it brought a lot of money.

If they never sold it I'd get it for sure. Thinking about it, that plate is older than Peyton's first snap at UT.
Click to expand...

What about these?? In 1950 the Vols had a great season and the legislature voted to make the plates for '51 orange and white to honor them..Had to have a front and rear plate then and all plates were was shaped like the state...This is the only time that any color than black/white had been used...So happens coincidentally, that the Vols win '51 national title...Bought these for $60.00 about 25 years ago at a flea market after my wife kept telling me to buy them. They are perfect - no scratches, dents, etc. After we won the national title in '98, saw two different offers to sell two similar but neither was in the condition of these...One wanted $3500. The other asked $3300. Wouldn 't take $3500 for mine...A treasure
Vols.jpg
 
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#12
#12
Jacksonvol said:
What about these?? In 1950 the Vols had a great season and the legislature voted to make the plates for '51 orange and white to honor them..Had to have a front and rear plate then and all plates were was shaped like the state...This is the only time that any color than black/white had been used...So happens coincidentally, that the Vols win '51 national title...Bought these for $60.00 about 25 years ago at a flea market after my wife kept telling me to buy them. They are perfect - no scratches, dents, etc. After we won the national title in '98, saw two different offers to sell two similar but neither was in the condition of these...One wanted $3500. The other asked $3300. Wouldn 't take $3500 for mine...A treasure
View attachment 107764
Click to expand...

That's fantastic :good!:
 
#13
#13
Jacksonvol said:
What about these?? In 1950 the Vols had a great season and the legislature voted to make the plates for '51 orange and white to honor them..Had to have a front and rear plate then and all plates were was shaped like the state...This is the only time that any color than black/white had been used...So happens coincidentally, that the Vols win '51 national title...Bought these for $60.00 about 25 years ago at a flea market after my wife kept telling me to buy them. They are perfect - no scratches, dents, etc. After we won the national title in '98, saw two different offers to sell two similar but neither was in the condition of these...One wanted $3500. The other asked $3300. Wouldn 't take $3500 for mine...A treasure
View attachment 107764
Click to expand...

That's cool.
 
#15
#15
We had those UT plates from the 80's. Our #'s were in the low 400's. They reside somewhere in my garage now. I should fish them out and hang in my Tennessee room. Kinda forgot about them since we moved out of state 20 plus years ago.
 
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