License Plate Laboratory Podcast

It seems you can find a Youtube channel for just about everything from reviews on the latest Apple products to the newest animal born at the local zoo. There are actually a handful I watch pretty regularly.  Michael DeLucia has broad brought license plates into the podcast world with his series License Plate Laboratory  From the first video he says he outlines the podcast which more like a conversation rather than a formatted interview. Which personally is a breath of fresh air.

Before Michael came along  whenever license plate collectors are interviewed it's usually the same basic questions, "How did you get into license plate collecting?" or "What's your favorite plate?" and if the collector is an ALPCA member, the member has to go into what exactly IS ALPCA.  Being an ALPCA member himself, he  was assigned member #14817 in December of 2024,  Michael breezes through the basic questions pretty quickly and gets what a member would ask another member if they first met at a license plate meet or even at the convention. I like that a lot better than hearing a collector's opinion on the most valuable plate out there. There are more to license plate stories than your favorite plate and how you found out about ALPCA! Michael has interviewed about forty ALPCA members ranging from the seasoned Ned Flynn.  I want to highlight some of the discussions that demonstrate the array of collectors Michael has interviewed.

 I first heard about the podcast out at the ALPCA Convention in Ft. Wayne Indiana and decided to look it up., Let me just back up a bit, my Facebook Page got hacked nearly a year ago so I am definitely not up-to-date with all the latest! I heard about this new license plate podcast that was making its way through the various groups. So I looked up the License Plate Laboratory YouTube Page, scrolled through to  Ed Butler's(6661) Interview and immediately clicked on it!  I found the conversation quite enjoyable and am, glad Ed gave a plug for the Garden State Re gion, which we have ran together for the last number of years

Then I listened when Michael talked to one of Ed's mentors, ALPCA veteran Steve Raiche,451 . Steve's love of history, not just of plates but of automotive history , was one of the my favorite episodes so far.  Steve also went into the deeper history of ALPCA,most of which I heard over my thirty two years in the club. Whenever I talk to  Steve   I always learn som ething about ALPCA and plate collecting in general! 

After listening to people I knew very well, I remember the feedback at the convention wasn't all positive, so I decided that the best thing to do was to listen to his  first informal chat was with newer ALPCA member JR Ewing,,8363. To be honest JR wouldn't have been my first interview, but I understand  that Michael uses the license plate groups on Facebook as a recruiting tool.  JR and I have traded barbs a few times. Not over deals, over style. My first impression of JR when he started posting on Facebook is he got  screwed on a deal right  when he first started collecting and makes it his mission to educate other collectors, which is a good thing. He is the most  cynical ALPCA member I have met outside Bill "Wit" Whitworth, ALPCA#1000.  This has ruffled feathers of some most seasoned members and when they  suggest to JR soften his approach, he accuses them of not looking out for other collectors.. This theme  comes through  in the interview. Now Michael agrees with JR's philosophy 100% and I can easily understand it. Admittedly during their discussion I agreed with a lot with what they were saying. JR is one of the most vocal plate collectors on Facebook so the choice was obvious!  The thing is this is a theme through Michael's podcast and while I applauds looking out for one another, I'm concerned this will lead to a paranoia amongst less seasoned collectors that people are out to screw them.

Michael has brought a much needed new angle to plate collecting. His mixture of guests is diverse as the license plate hobby itself . There are many aspects to ALPCA and collecting in general that need to be discovered. Michael is doing his part to bring those stories to light and keep them alive. I will continue to support his efforts!! 

New Jersey MG in Ohio

 

On our way out to the ALPCA convention in Ft Wayne, IN, Clark Dean and I stopped by the N ational Construction Equipment Museum in Bolling Green, OH.  Checking Jim Moini's website,  the plate was issued between late 1990- early 1991 making the plate itself close to forty years old.  I wonder how a New Jersey municipal plate survived a trip out to Ohio?   People are always saying New Jersey is notorious for  making people turn their license plates in after  the plates expire so this is a real treat, especially way out in Ohio!! 

Trade list update

Prized Possession!

Chuck Sakryd is an ALPCA Hall of  Fame member, he's been in the club ten years longer than I have been alive! Chuck is always seen with his massive notebook of plate information, when it isn't lost on the convention floor!  Chuck buys and sells plates, it's his livelihood. He's on of the big wigs in the hobby. He is one of those collectors who  remembers what other people collect and keeps an eye for specific plates for specific collectors. As soon as he saw me in Ft Wayne he said he had a plate for me, which I thought might have been some kind of "JUSTIN" vanity plate. Then his wife, Cyndi caught  me wandering the halls and said Chuck has a plate for you. This continued throughout the day. It was like a game of tag. Finally Chuck caught me in close proximity of his table and jokingly yelled, to me and I walked over. H e then managed to get a hold of Cyndi and she walked over,

Chuck handed me the plated proudly said, "This plate belongs in your collection." I thanked him, he knew I appreciated the gesture but didn't immediately see the significance of the plate. I then flipped it over and read the tags on the back of the plate, "This New York license plate belonged to the Executive  Director of United Cerebral Palsy of New York State." Below that tag it says "Every 53 minutes a child is born with Cerebral Palsy". It was then the full weight of what I was holding in my hands hit me! I welled up with emotion and thanked Chuck! I  showed it off to everyone I saw on the floor. I have been collecting disabled plates for awhile now, but THIS PLATE is a jem in my collection!!!

 Every 53 minutes a child is born with  Cerebral Palsy
-Slogan of United Cerebral Palsy

License plate highs as of June 2026

This is the current high license plate number as of the end of May 2026. I will publish this information only twice a year, once in July and once in December

New Jesey Placard Renewal

 So I just received this in the mail a weekl ago. It's my new disabled parking placard valid until 2029 when I will be  fifty one years old./   Every three years I need to have my father fill out a renewal, then I need to get a doctor to fill out another. form and sign it. The final step is to mail it into Motor  Vehicle Commission in West Trenton and wait three weeks to get the new placard! Even though it isn't a "license plate it's used to identify either a driver or passenger with a disability! 

eBay Handles URL shortening

Embedding the eBay handle spreadsheet  directly into this site was a bit of a hassle, so I deleted the entry  and  put the link here with a picture of the first page. They address is:http://ebayhandles.justinmattes.com/   For any updates or corrections you can email:kc2gik@justinmattes.com

eBay Handles

 

2025 ALPCA Best Plate Picks

 

Cover of the April 2026 PLATES

Well it's April, that means it's time for  the annual 2025 ALPCA Best Plate Contest! ALPCA chooses the best plates that were first produced during the year~ Members select new plates from the previous year based on design and eligibility!  This is is extra special because the United States is celebrating its 250th birthday. Over the past year states have been issuing license plates  commemorate the occasion. Also my brother and sister-in-law live in a suburb outside Philadelphia and have the plate on their car so I am biased. The winner will be announced next  month and I'll post an update

I chose the P A LET FREEDOM RING

NEW WHEELCHAIR BASES WANTED

 

 I posted I'm trying to update my wheelchair collection to be as current as possible. Looking at The High Road section by John Northup & Kit Sage February and April PLATESW Magazines,  I'm, trying to figure out if the wheelchair emblem is available on all new bases. Here's a list of the NEW bases I need, if available!~

Alabama

Illinois

Indiana 

Kansas

Main

Michigan

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana Nebraska

New York

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

Tennessee  

Texas 

Utah

Wyoming!!

Thanks a lot

Justin Mattes, 6748

Welcome

 Since I lost my web hosting  about a year ago I have been slowly converting my website to a Blogger Format. While writing and poetry remain my main focus I decided to use a separate Blogger website dedicated to my license plate hobby! Th is won't be updated too often but is another small step to  getting my old website content back online! 

This includes:

• My trade list
• eBay Handles
• Other Collector's want lists
• List of ALPCA  Conventions
• Entries of my blog that focus on license plate collecting
• License Plates from my collection
•  Information on New Jersey license plates

ALPCA ROSTERS WANTED

 

OLD ALPCA ROSTERS WANTED

A little background G. William Whitworth ALPCA#1000 used to run a website with a list of members who passed away. When he himself passed I decided to take up t he torch. In doing so I sometimes need to look stuff up that isn't in the ALPCA online roster. I assure people I am a member in good standing and will only use this information FOR ALPCA BUSINESS ONLY!!! If you have old ALPCA Rosters please email me at kc2gik@justinmattes.com I will gladly pay for shipping!!!!!!!