This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to yourself.
Have you ever wondered where all of the old license plates go to once they have finished serving their purpose? Landfills? Metal recyclers? License plate heaven? I think I have a good idea of where some of them end up. I saw it with my very own eyes today…displayed on the walls of a garage.
We were out looking at houses this past weekend and drove past this old, old garage on the side of the road and I did a double-take. This was another case of "Glad I Had My Camera". I couldn’t let the opportunity slip by without taking a few snapshots…I just don’t have it in me.
I’d be willing to bet that people all across the country save them or "decorate" their workshops and garages with them? I found the latter to be true while on this "house-stalking" run. I’ve seen quite a few birdhouse roofs made from them, too.
I’ve seen them plastered on the walls of quite a few restaurants and bars in my time, too (there sure are a lot of parrotheads out there!).
Some folks even collect old and/or antique license tags while others simply toss them in the trash. Personally, I can’t say what I do with my old license plates. Let’s just say that I do the right thing.
It’s About Garages…well…and…um…License Plates
But that’s NOT what this post is about. It’s about an old garage I passed out in the country that was literally plastered with them. And the odd thing was that it "fit" the structure that they were nailed to.
I can recall, when I was a child, visiting my great-grandparents’ house in Lancaster, OH and heading straight to the garage because the inside of it was covered wall-to-wall with old license plates dating back to the early 1900’s. It was an awe-inspiring sight in the eyes of a child.
What Are You Supposed To Do With Your Old License Plate?
You are supposed to either destroy your old license plates in a manner in which they would be unusable or return them to the local licensing office (DMV) to be recycled. Get a receipt from the DMV office that you turned it in for tax purposes (for proof that you are no longer using the tag on a vehicle if you are unduly charged).
I don’t think everyone is following that particular government-advised directive based on my experience of odd places I’ve seen them hanging.
What kinds of creative uses have you seen license plates used for?
Related:
eHow explains How To Decorate A Garage
Quick Facts About Collecting Vintage License Plates
I started as a home-stalker… visiting brand new homes under construction in the neighborhoods near my house. That inspired me to write about home building and home renovation projects — chronicling homes during different phases of construction from a consumer's point-of-view. Basically, the tips you'll find in my articles are a collection of checklists for what I think should (and should not) go into building or remodeling a quality home.
