This came in the mail in early Feburary of last year, it's my new membership card signifying I paid my 2024 dues to the Automobile License Plate Association. It's especially special because it means I have been withALPCA for 30-years, I joined in 1994 when I was 16. Well I didn't "join" I received it as a Christmas gifit from my parents, but my license plate collecting story starts a full year earlier. I decided to end my 30th year in ALPCA by writing a little about how I started and then highlighting some of entries I have written
When I was around 14 I started to pay attention to the different licenses platess on cars. First it was antique cars that in NJ had the letters"QQ" either at the beginning or the end of the license plate. Then I looked at police cars and firetrucks had "MG" and some had "CG". I later found out later in New Jersey "MG" stood for "Municipal Government", "CG" stood for "County Government. The more I looked the more variations I saw on the road.
I decided since the state issued the license plates, I write the NJ Motor Vehicle Commission for m,ore information and they sent me a photocopy of the above panphlet which also included was an order for SAMPLE license plates meaning real plates but instead of letter and numbers they just had "A"'s and "0"s and couldn't be places on automobiles. These were plates made for collectors. The following Christmas I found a box filled of sample plates under the tree and promptly hung them up in my room
While browsing the information I noticed there was a section called "Tagging a Hobby" w is where I first read the name AUTOMOBILE LICENSE PLATE COLLECTORS ASSOCIATION. The local contact was a man by the name of F ran k German, I immediately wrote him a letter. Unfortunately he passed away a long time ago. My spirit dwinlded, but I still collected plates.
I soon got another book by Thomson C Murray which had the current address to contact ALPCA. My mom spotted the address before I did and for Christmas in 1993 my folks surprised me with a membershi p! My name was listed in the February 1994 newsletter and roster! Little did I know that this membership would take me all over the country and meet many friends! Folks like wRick Kretschmer would to
A few months went by and my aunt and uncle gave me some old plates for my birthday! My ncollection was growing. I focused on NJ and wheelchair license plates. I managed to mass quite a collection, one of my favorite plates is the NJ Governor's plate from 1957/58 whic was the last year they issued red letters on a black bakground. This remains one of the gems in my collection!
\My involvement with ALPCA kicked into hig gear when I co-founded the ALPCA Garden State region. Our first meet was in November of 2008 we hosted our first meet at the Tice Senior Center in Woodcliff Lake. A few years later I connected with long time ALPCA member Ed Butler. We have since expanded to different parts of New Jersey. I am currently working on having one down in Cape May.
Another side project I recently started putting my writing talents to good you to compose biographies for the
ALPCA Hall of Fame. It started when my good friend
Dave Kuehn passed away suddenly. Bill Dickerson, the Chairman of the Hall of Fame Committee, tasked me with writing his biography for his plaque presented to his sister. I was honored. Bill was so impressed he made med the reswident biographer. One of my favorite pieces was the one I wrote for
Clark Wothe a long time friend and mentor. It's just another way I can contribute to a club I love.
As a a "celebration" of sorts I highlighted some of my accomplishments in ALPCA. I also included some of my writings about the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association., 30 Years is nothing when some members are pushing 50 years!! I have adde many plates to my collection, exercised my skills as a writer, but most importantly made friends that will last a lifetim! Anyway I hope you enjoyed my journey back in time!!!!
Sunday before Thanksgiving 1994. I dragged my dad to my first license plate meet in NYC.
June 2002 attended my first license plate meet in Niagra Falls NY
October 2002 Wrote my first article in the ALPCA Register
July 2004 Attended the 50th ALPCA Convention
October 2004 wrote the Meadowlands license plate story
April 2005 wrote Enabling the Disabled
July 2009- Won Honorable Mention Award for my Dsisplay :Route 66 by Wheelchair
July 2010- flew by myself to the ALPCA Convention in Arlington, Texas on m y own
Convention Blog Entries--
Huntsville,AL 2007 My first convention I travelled "alone" with Tim Stentiford and roomed with Rick Krestchmer fior the first time
Erie,PA 2009 Another road trip with Mom and Dad. We also visitedd a lot of lighthouses
Arlington 2010 e
Rough weather made the flight down diffivult, delays caused me to be late for Zander's 1st birthday
Rochester 2014 Took Amtrak from Poughkeepsie,NY to Rocheste, NY. T coming home a tree fell on the tracks causing dad to drive up to Albany
Knoxville 2019 My fellow New Jersey ALPCA member Ed Butler and I took an amazing road trip.. He picked me up at my brother's house, we had the roadtrip of a lifetime
Other ALPCA Blog Highlights
Well there it is, thirty years of highlights. I decided including stories w
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