First online auction for farm-themed number plates

A young farmer from Wiltshire is set to host the first ever online auction for farm-related number plates.

Livestock farmer Olly Hares set up Farmplates, his diversified number plate-selling business two years ago as a hobby.

Since then, Mr Hares has sold about 120 number plates, mostly with farming, or countryside themes.

Olly Hares (centre) and Charlie Coleman, an auctioneer at Symonds and Sampson © Farmplates

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“It’s one of the most obscure farm diversifications out there,” he admits. “Some people think number plates are a waste of time, but others are completely obsessed.”

On Monday 11 June, more than 50 number plates (PDF) with various configurations will go be sold at auction at www.farmplates.co.uk in what will be the first collective sale online of farm and countryside number plates.

The timed online auction, which is being held in conjunction with auctioneer Symonds and Sampson, will end at 7pm that day.

Personalised number plates with a number of farming themes will be available to buy – these include BA13 HAY, PH63ANT and FA57RAC. Some have guide prices of between £5,000 and £10,000.

The registration is either owned by the company, or sold on behalf of a third party.

Farmplates can transfer the number plate registration to successful bidders if they are given the details of the V5 logbook – and will then send the plates in the post.

Mr Hares, 34, farms about 500 cattle in Longleat, including 150 beef sucklers with followers. He also runs a calf-rearing business.