We received a question on the 1969 Maine Dealer license plate this week  (https://www.ebay.com/itm/384265811078)

Question: “I’ve never seen this license plate base. Do you have information on what the SV designation meant? Snowmobile dealer?”

According to Tom: “The ALPCA Archives shows a plate just like it, number 400, with both 1969 and 1970 stickers. It notes that SV is for service vehicle, probably for a tow truck or similar vehicle owned by a dealership.” At this time, there are only 5 Watchers on this auction which ends on July 18th.

Of more interest are the 1940 Texas plate (https://www.ebay.com/itm/363454596627) with 25 Watchers and the 1944 New Mexico amateur repaint (https://www.ebay.com/itm/363454597551) with 19 Watchers. As we know, plates from southern states have braved unkind climates. Add in the number of cars registered in some of the states in earlier years and the difficulty to own certain plates increases.