Private number plate

motorguy

born_again said:

Kinda amusing that people think choosing your own plate for £299 is vain, but do not blink at spending tens of thousands on their car just because its a (insert some german marque here)

Exactly.   Bemuses me that some people seem to have a real problem with that.

AdrianC

born_again said:

Kinda amusing that people think choosing your own plate for £299 is vain, but do not blink at spending tens of thousands on their car just because its a (insert some german marque here)

Considering the vehicle in our current fleet which cost most to buy is a Citroen that was 18yo at the time of purchase...

Grumpy_chap

motorguy said:

Pride in how you look or in something you own is NOT vanity, having undue or excessive pride IS.

If someone wants to personalise their car a little so it stands out from the herd then whats the harm in that little bit of individuality?

If someone is wearing a nice watch or a nice suit how is that vanity by the way?  Taking pride in your appearance?  Is getting dressed up occasionally or having something nice to wear not a nice thing to do anymore?  Are we all that ground down by lockdowns that we've given up on making a little effort sometimes?

And the term i use - not that it ever comes up in conversation in the normal world - is personal plate.  Its personal to me.  I own it.  I take it with me from car to car.  Seems fairly logical to me?

Some would suggest that a "personal" plate is excessive - others disagree.  Does it have an order of magnitude to it? 

• £300 for GC21GAC
• £5k for GR11MPY
• £70k for GC 1

There is no harm in individuality or having something nice.  However, any watch or suit or whatever that achieves more than the functional purpose - particularly if half the value is the label - is vanity.

dipsomaniac

motorguy said:

poppasmurf_bewdley said:

dipsomaniac said:

Best vanity plate I have seen was on a lotus at donnington - PEN15

Which unfortunately does not exist.  And a friend of mine had the genuine PEN51 many years ago, but this also appears to have been withdrawn. Maybe the DVLA have got very prudish! 

Dont let the truth get in the way of Dipsos version of reality!

I saw the plate on a car at donnington approx 30 years ago

motorguy

AdrianC said:

born_again said:

Kinda amusing that people think choosing your own plate for £299 is vain, but do not blink at spending tens of thousands on their car just because its a (insert some german marque here)

Considering the vehicle in our current fleet which cost most to buy is a Citroen that was 18yo at the time of purchase...

Ah.  So you're judging others subjectively based on your own personal choices and circumstances.

motorguy

Grumpy_chap said:

motorguy said:

Pride in how you look or in something you own is NOT vanity, having undue or excessive pride IS.

If someone wants to personalise their car a little so it stands out from the herd then whats the harm in that little bit of individuality?

If someone is wearing a nice watch or a nice suit how is that vanity by the way?  Taking pride in your appearance?  Is getting dressed up occasionally or having something nice to wear not a nice thing to do anymore?  Are we all that ground down by lockdowns that we've given up on making a little effort sometimes?

And the term i use - not that it ever comes up in conversation in the normal world - is personal plate.  Its personal to me.  I own it.  I take it with me from car to car.  Seems fairly logical to me?

Some would suggest that a "personal" plate is excessive - others disagree.  Does it have an order of magnitude to it? 

• £300 for GC21GAC
• £5k for GR11MPY
• £70k for GC 1

There is no harm in individuality or having something nice.  However, any watch or suit or whatever that achieves more than the functional purpose - particularly if half the value is the label - is vanity.

Theres always expensive things out there though at the top end of any market.

A £70K shiny new BMW could be considered a vanity purchase, however i wouldnt consider someone driving one at £300 to be vain.

So yes, it does have an order of magnitude.  If someone is spending £70K for GC 1 then thats likely making a statement of some sort (to themselves or otherwise), however if someone can get their initials on say a prefix style plate for £250 and its a little bit of personalisation to their car or a little treat for themselves, is that really vanity?  And lets be honest, the vast bulk of personal regs out there are a few hundred pounds at most.  Not a big hill of beans over maybe 30 or 40 years that someone might have a reg (my wife has had hers 22 years).  

"There is no harm in individuality or having something nice.  However, any watch or suit or whatever that achieves more than the functional purpose - particularly if half the value is the label - is vanity."  Sorry, but its not.  Many people like or collect watches or simply like to wear a nice watch.  Likewise not everyone wants to wear a £50 suit from Primark or wherever.  

AdrianC

motorguy said:

And lets be honest, the vast bulk of personal regs out there are a few hundred pounds at most.  Not a big hill of beans over maybe 30 or 40 years that someone might have a reg (my wife has had hers 22 years).  

Plus however many transfers at (currently) £80/time...

Grumpy_chap

motorguy said:

"There is no harm in individuality or having something nice.  However, any watch or suit or whatever that achieves more than the functional purpose - particularly if half the value is the label - is vanity."  Sorry, but its not.  Many people like or collect watches or simply like to wear a nice watch.  Likewise not everyone wants to wear a £50 suit from Primark or wherever.  

I am not saying it is wrong to simply want nice things.
But the reason is all about vanity.

Any watch tells the time. 
A very cheap watch may not be accurate, may not feel nice, or may not portray a positive image but it will still meet the purpose.
Paying more than the minimum gets you a strap that does not cause a skin rash - so a worthwhile up-spend with practical outcome benefits.
Paying more still can get a watch that is a bit more stylish - but what it looks like (form) does nothing to better the function of the watch.
Paying a higher sum of money gets a watch that instills greater wellness, but that is all really about what the watch looks and feels like and the image it portrays externally.
Hard to argue that the premium watch (or any watch beyond the functional need to time and no skin rash) is anything more than vanity.

There is nothing wrong with selecting that nice watch.  Indeed, I purchased myself a nice watch from an upmarket corner shop for my 30th Birthday - it was to reward myself for success, efforts and achievements. I did select a watch that has a positive image externally.  It was a watch that I'd seen many times, I desired it, and having achieved the status / sufficient salary / disposable income to have this watch (rather than a purchase of whatever necessity there is) was a milestone for me.

One day I will buy myself a Cartier Santos - this is the watch I have always admired ever since I was aware of such things.  

Regardless, the whole rationale that means a premium watch from an upmarket store is seen in the light of "reward" and "wellness" is all about vanity.  It might be a "treat" or a "reward" to myself, but it is still vanity.  What else can it be?

I say the same for even ironing your clothes - achieve no practical purpose other than to look and feel nice - so it is purely an act of vanity.

motorguy said:

If someone is spending £70K for GC 1 then thats likely making a statement of some sort (to themselves or otherwise), however if someone can get their initials on say a prefix style plate for £250 and its a little bit of personalisation to their car or a little treat for themselves, is that really vanity?  

Similarly with a selected car number plate.  I was out with my wife saw a couple of weeks ago a mother and daughter in the High Street who were clearly affluent - their entire style spoke success & confidence, regardless of being casual style.  A bit further along the road was a Golf R (someones car of choice) with the number plate of "my initials 4" (equivalent of "GC 4") - the mother and daughter couple then strolled up and climbed into the car.  The Golf R is clearly their car of choice - the number plate is still worth several times the cost of the car.

If accepting that the £70k "GC 4" number plate is vanity, then so is a £300 number plate.  The £300 is equally as unaffordable to some as the £70k is to the majority.

motorguy

AdrianC said:

motorguy said:

And lets be honest, the vast bulk of personal regs out there are a few hundred pounds at most.  Not a big hill of beans over maybe 30 or 40 years that someone might have a reg (my wife has had hers 22 years).  

Plus however many transfers at (currently) £80/time...

Working out at just over £25 a year.

motorguy

Grumpy_chap said:

motorguy said:

"There is no harm in individuality or having something nice.  However, any watch or suit or whatever that achieves more than the functional purpose - particularly if half the value is the label - is vanity."  Sorry, but its not.  Many people like or collect watches or simply like to wear a nice watch.  Likewise not everyone wants to wear a £50 suit from Primark or wherever.  

I am not saying it is wrong to simply want nice things.
But the reason is all about vanity.

Any watch tells the time. 
A very cheap watch may not be accurate, may not feel nice, or may not portray a positive image but it will still meet the purpose.
Paying more than the minimum gets you a strap that does not cause a skin rash - so a worthwhile up-spend with practical outcome benefits.
Paying more still can get a watch that is a bit more stylish - but what it looks like (form) does nothing to better the function of the watch.
Paying a higher sum of money gets a watch that instills greater wellness, but that is all really about what the watch looks and feels like and the image it portrays externally.
Hard to argue that the premium watch (or any watch beyond the functional need to time and no skin rash) is anything more than vanity.

There is nothing wrong with selecting that nice watch.  Indeed, I purchased myself a nice watch from an upmarket corner shop for my 30th Birthday - it was to reward myself for success, efforts and achievements. I did select a watch that has a positive image externally.  It was a watch that I'd seen many times, I desired it, and having achieved the status / sufficient salary / disposable income to have this watch (rather than a purchase of whatever necessity there is) was a milestone for me.

One day I will buy myself a Cartier Santos - this is the watch I have always admired ever since I was aware of such things.  

Regardless, the whole rationale that means a premium watch from an upmarket store is seen in the light of "reward" and "wellness" is all about vanity.  It might be a "treat" or a "reward" to myself, but it is still vanity.  What else can it be?

I say the same for even ironing your clothes - achieve no practical purpose other than to look and feel nice - so it is purely an act of vanity.

motorguy said:

If someone is spending £70K for GC 1 then thats likely making a statement of some sort (to themselves or otherwise), however if someone can get their initials on say a prefix style plate for £250 and its a little bit of personalisation to their car or a little treat for themselves, is that really vanity?  

Similarly with a selected car number plate.  I was out with my wife saw a couple of weeks ago a mother and daughter in the High Street who were clearly affluent - their entire style spoke success & confidence, regardless of being casual style.  A bit further along the road was a Golf R (someones car of choice) with the number plate of "my initials 4" (equivalent of "GC 4") - the mother and daughter couple then strolled up and climbed into the car.  The Golf R is clearly their car of choice - the number plate is still worth several times the cost of the car.

If accepting that the £70k "GC 4" number plate is vanity, then so is a £300 number plate.  The £300 is equally as unaffordable to some as the £70k is to the majority.

Your definition of vanity is flawed.  Vanity is not taking pride in how you look or having something you want not need.  Vanity is taking excessive pride or putting unwarranted value on things you want.

And hence why "If accepting that the £70k "GC 4" number plate is vanity, then so is a £300 number plate." fails - £300 is not an excessive or unreasonable amount for something that people will have for many decades.  Elevating that to £70,000 to many would be extremely excessive, thus would likely fall in to the realms of vanity.  

You seem to have a black and white view that anything other than servicing the absolute basic of needs is vanity.  Its not. 

If you cant grasp that there is little point in continuing to "debate" with you.