We’ve heard of ‘Sweet 16’s’, but ‘Sweet 11’s’? Harbhajan Bains splashed out £26,000 on a personalised number plate for his daughter’s 11th birthday – which may be a little excessive for someone that can’t legally drive for another 6 years! The registration plate he chose is ’99 A’, and represents the year of Mr.Bains’ daughter’s birth and her first initial.
This is what’s referred to as a dateless number plate… These are highly sought-after plates as there’s nothing to indicate the year it was issued.
MTV’s ’My Super Sweet 16’, the American TV show in which we see families spending enormous amounts on their children’s 16th birthday has been a huge success in the UK – there’s even a UK version of the show now – with families in this country spending more on their children’s birthday parties and presents than even before.
So is this £26,000 private number plate another case of parents overindulging on their children? Mr.Bains’ says its more than just a present for his daughter – an investment. The Birmingham-based pharmacist believes that the value of the plate will have doubled by the time his daughter is old enough to drive. He already has a collection of 25 number plates so if anyone should know about their investment value, he should.
Even so, taking into account that £26,000 is enough to put a deposit on a family home, is it too much too spend on an 11th birthday present, is it too much too spend on any present and is it too much to spend on a number plate? Or, is it a very clever investment into Mr.Bains’ daughter’s future?
[...] to fund higher education or a deposit on a first home. We’ve written previously about a Harbhajan Bains who bought a £26,000 private number plate for his daughter who was just 11 years old at the [...]