Prestige, legacy, and symbolism matter most when money is just a number.
恭喜发财 January 22, 2023 marks the start of the Lunar New Year – the Year of the Rabbit. In Chinese culture, the rabbit is known to be the luckiest out of all the twelve Zodiac animals. It is a symbol of elegance and beauty. Wherever you are in the world, Platebroker.com wishes you a healthy and prosperous New Year.
The existence of symbolism is an important facet of cultures around the world, influencing decisions ranging from where to live, what to believe in, and what to purchase. You may notice a tendency for big ticket items, like homes or cars, to feature 888 in their listed prices. The number 8 in Chinese sounds very similar to the word to “make a fortune” so, naturally 888 is “triple fortune.” The widespread popularity of the number 888 makes it arguably the most recognizable number in the world. It also makes it the most coveted and desirable when associated with scarcity, and status.
When you’ve reached a certain level of financial success, you become unfazed by daily fluctuations in your net worth. Essentially, the concept and use of money both change. Acquisitions are motivated by personal joy, exclusivity, and, at times, a competitive spirit. It is rumored that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia thought he was bidding against his Qatari rivals, thus pushing Davinci’s Salvator Mundi to its record-setting price of $450.3 million, blowing past the estimate of $100 million. The desire to keep it away from the opposition was just as poignant as the provenance of the painting.
When the California 888 plate was released, no asking price was set because potential buyers may be motivated by things other than price.
A sale at $88,888,888 would not only demolish the 15-year-old world record, but would establish a high watermark that would most likely remain unchallenged for a long while. The iconic price of eight 8’s would immediately become etched in international legend.
A sale at $28,888,888 would break the world record and disrupt the license plate market. The number 28 is popular in Chinese culture as it sounds like the Cantonese phrase for “easy money.”
Other symbolic Chinese numbers include: 19 – “forever” | 13 – “a lifetime” | 6 – “smooth”
All serious offers will be considered for California 888 and symbolic numbers are very welcome. The question now is who will break the record and set a new standard across the globe? Will it be a corporation like 888 Holdings or ByteDance, or an individual like Jensen Huang or Tony Xu? The Year of the Rabbit just may hold the answer.
Photos feature inventory from our friends at Lamborghini Dallas and Pagani of Dallas.
