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March 11, 2010

Anonymous The Crossville Chronicle Thu Mar 11, 2010, 08:00 AM CST

The Automobile License Plate Collectors Association (ALPCA) held a license plate show at the Cumberland County Community Complex on March 5-6.

According to Crossville's Jere Robinson, a long time ALPCA member, there were over 120 people here from Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Virginia, Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, North Dakota and Iowa.

The show has been a fixture at the Cumberland County Community Complex since 2004, when it moved here from Lebanon.

"People just like the area," Robinson said Monday afternoon.

ALPCA is a worldwide association with approximately 40,000 members, including 3,000 members in the United States. There are clubs in all 50 states and 25 foreign countries.

According to ALPCA, as motor vehicles became more common in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a need for their registration arose.

Prior to universal licensing at the state level, some cities and counties issued their own license plates. New York became the first state to register automobiles in 1901, acquiring owners to fabricate their own plates.

In 1903, Massachusetts became the first state to issue automobile license plates. Other states quickly followed. Rhode Island started in 1904. Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin began in 1905.

As states began to issue plates, it was not long before people began saving expired plates, often nailing them on garage or barn walls.

As a result, old plates were preserved. They provide both a fascinating collectible and a subject for research into an unusual aspect of transportation history.

Finally, in 1954, a small group of collectors founded the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association.

One of the interesting aspects of license plate collecting is that each person who embarks on this hobby seems to approach it from a unique perspective.

One collector may try to find one plate from each state or country for his birth year.

Another might collect a plate from each year issued by his state.

Still others might delve deeper, showing an interest in amateur radio call plates, motorcycle plates, taxi plates, legislative plates, porcelain and sample plates, etc.

Others may collect plates by country, number or letter codes. The possibilities are endless.

What is the mission of ALPCA?

To promote the interest of license plate collectors by the following:

•Publishing a magazine six times each year.

•Promoting license plate shows worldwide.

•Informing members of different plates and laws.

•Have laws passed to prevent reproduction from ripping off members and collectors.

•Promote shows that allows friends and acquaintances to buy, sell, swap and share stories of the hunt.

•A place to advertise to buy and sell plates.

•A listing of all members worldwide.

•Plan and promote an annual convention, most often in the United States.

•There are many other benefits for members.

For more information about ALPCA, go to www.alpca.org.

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