BACK ISSUE information will be coming soon....

I would have thought this was self explanatory, but I still get people who either ask what the magazine title means, or they butcher the pronunciation to the point where I have no idea what they're talking about.

PL8S is PLATES. PL"eight" S.... plates. Not "Pluh - ATE - ess", not "Peeuhlateiss", not P.L.8.S. (who would abbreviate the number 8?). You wouldn't believe the variety of mail addresses I've received - usually for PLBS, PLSS, PLS and even PL8ATES. Anyway, give the credit to Dave Györy, for talking me into starting up a plate hobby paper, and for an excess amount of personal time working at Mack Trucks in Allentown, Pa., for coming up with the name PL8S.

FIRST ISSUE: Issue number 0, December 1988, was distributed to almost 1,200 hardcore license plate collectors. Black and white, about 16 pages, a handful of photographs and some decent ads. Had a collage of license plates on the cover. Still have a few of these in stock, but not too many! This issue had the highest amount of copies, but there aren't many to be found in dupes.

No Photo available!

TRUE FIRST ISSUE: Issue number 1, January 1989. Had a large drawing on the front, with a bunch of FIRST ISSUE artwork, etc. Tough one to find - I think I have one or two somewhere, but not sure exactly where. Gray colored cover.

SECOND ISSUE: February 1990 - wouldn't even mention this one, but it's probably the scarcest PL8S issue to find. Just enough were printed for the 300 collectors who subscribed at that time, and no extras. Mine is shown at left, complete with small coffee stain.

Which way is up? The September 1989 number 9 issue featured invert error plates on the cover. To add to the confusion, I thought it would be neat to print the cover so you couldn't tell which way was up! What fun!! The fun ended when I had to mail replacement copies out to those who tore the cover trying to open the issue the wrong way. At the time, I had around 22 different states in invert-error plates - I now have 44, and am hot to get the rest! Have an invert error you'd like to get rid of? Email me!

The number 14 February 1990 issue was a special Valentines issue, with a red cover and white printed graphics of all red and white license plates, which included a picture of a Yukon Territory plate, complete with a hand painted dab of gold paint, placed in the miner's pan on each issue. Yep - nothing like hand painting plates on 500 magazine covers! The picture at right is a close up of the miner. Glorp!

A special Christmas December 1990 issue (number 24) had a Christmas scene on the cover, that was hand scented with pine oil for realism. Unfortunately, all of the scent vanished by the time the issue was received in the mail. My apartment on the other hand, stank like a Xmas tree farm for a week afterwards. Ho Ho HO!

August 1991 issue number 32 featured long time cover model Lauren Hepkin, who appeared more than anyone else on a PL8S cover - three times. As a kid,a bigger kid, and a full fledged young lady. If I can track her down, I'll try to get her to do another shoot! Those are two of four of the only known full invert New Jersey error plates in existence.

August 1992 issue number 44 had a bicycle license sticker stuck to the back of each issue. Four of the numbered bike license serial numbers were pulled in a drawing for some kind of giveaway. Probably not that great of an idea, as none of the four winning issue holders ever bothered to contact me. If you just realized you have one of the winning numbers - you're TOO FREAKIN LATE!

One of the most popular issues ever produced was the March 1995 number 69 motorcycle issue. We had a large run of them, but so many people ordered extra copies, that we almost ran out a week or two after publication. There were tons of photos of some of the rarest motorcycle plates around, including many from the great Don Merrill collection in upstate New York, and the two on the cover - a 1939 Texas motorcycle, and an odd colored 1939 Texas motorcycle prototype sample plate - yep, none to easy to find. That's Texas motorcycle honcho Mick Stamm holding those tags. SOLD OUT

BACK ISSUE AVAILABILITY: Most issues of PL8S Magazine are available from number 0 up to number 108. There are probably about five issues that I have NO MORE copies of, including number 2, and a few in the 20's and 30's that were in higher demand that our print quantity could cover. We've also had some great covers, and special issues that are still in demand, like the all NUMBER ONE plate issue, the MOTORCYCLE plate issue, the all GUAM plate issue, and a few others. If you're interested in filling in some holes, or would just like a near complete run of PL8S Magazine, backissues are $3.00 each, and in the near future, I'll have a listing on-line of available copies.

PRINTING METHODS: From issue 0 through around 30 something, all issues were offset, kind of crappy quality, with various color covers or logos. From the 30's though number 72, they were photocopied on a Canon hi-quality copier. From number 73 on, they will be offset again, with coated stock and fine screened photo pages.

FACTS, FIGURES and other useless info: At the height of the magazine's popularity, PL8S was read by almost 700 subscribers around the world, and our membership number distribution eventually exceeded 1,500. The official PL8S Office address is P.O. Box 1 in East Texas, Pennsylvania, a really small village located in the west Allentown, Pa. area. We also have permit number 1 for first class mailing out of this office. My actual office location is tucked away on top of South Mountain in the Fountain Hill area of Bethlehem/Allentown. If you've ever been to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and you've seen that large star that lights up on top of the mountain, my office is located about a mile to the right.

FAX: I used to list a phone number here as well, but it really didn't make sense. People with email access were calling and leaving phone numbers for me to call, so we could discuss something about license plates. The whole point of email is to have a quick and inexpensive form of communication, so if you can read this, you can email me!

WHAT I'M INTERESTED IN BUYING: Almost anything along the line of license plates, as long as they're interesting or unusual. I avoid the newer common varieties of passenger plates, but I am interested in fancy graphics.

WHAT I'LL PAY VERY WELL FOR: Bahamas license plates, especially from the family islands. There are about 20 islands in the Bahamas group, and they all have the individual islands name on the plate. Contact me if you have access to any Bahamas plates. MEXICAN and INTERNATIONAL MOTORCYCLE PLATES... what do you have? 1937 PLATES - I only need some rare issues, like foreign countries, American Samoa, Guam, and a 1936/37 Puerto Rico. But any early plate from a foreign country is of interest. OTHER PLATES - Movie/TV prop plates, ERRORS and ODDBALLS, especially plates that have been stamped upside down by accident. FOREIGN PLATES - Almost any country, short of commons like the UK, Germany, Netherlands, France.... will pay up to $1000 for some issues, and they don't have to be old! PORCELAIN license plates from anywhere. LEATHER or HAND PAINTED STEEL license plates. LOW NUMBER or POLITICAL plates, like GOVERNOR plates, SENATE, HOUSE, etc. MOTORCYCLE LICENSE PLATES from before 1965. What do you have for sale?

WHAT I HAVE AVAILABLE: I have a large listing of plates for sale, including plates from 1906 on up from the USA, CANADA and FOREIGN countries, error plates, politicals, low numbers, motorcycles, temps, Pennsylvania tins, stickers, tabs, DAV keychains - lots more! This is NOW ALL AVAILABLE on line, just tap here.

OTHER COLLECTIONS: Coke bottles from foreign countries, some fridge magnets, Movie and TV prop and wardrobe pieces. Wacky Packages, Odd Rods, and punk vinyl.

That's all folks!