Tags are license to love - the city

Baltimore group unveils vanity plates to raise pride in city life ... and dollars, too

What are proud Baltimoreans to do when there's no space left on their cars' bumpers among all those "Believe" and "I City Life" stickers?

Now they can make a more permanent statement by making their vehicles "rolling billboards" for the city with Live Baltimore's new "I City Life" license plates.

Unveiled last week, the new vanity plates go beyond ephemeral displays of civic pride such as bumper stickers or T-shirts - but could also make a more permanent dent in your wallet.

Unlike the ubiquitous "I City Life" bumper stickers, offered free to city ambassadors who support Live Baltimore and to passers-by at city events, the license plates are a fund-raising tool. The first 20 of the plates - which also advertise the nonprofit city advocacy group's Web site, LiveBaltimore.com - are up for bid in a series of eBay online auctions.

Says Tracy Gosson, executive director of Live Baltimore, "If you want to be the first on your block to have one of these tags, you're going to have to bid high."

The minimum bid for each set of plates is $75. But in their zeal to prove who loves Baltimore the most - and, most likely, to get a tag with a prestigious low number - some bidders had pushed the auction prices as high as $300 as of yesterday. The first of two series of auctions began June 12, for plates numbered 0011-0020. Those auctions end today at 8 a.m. Plates numbered 0001-0010 go up for auction starting at 5 p.m. tonight; those auctions end June 30.

Why pay upward of $300 for one of these plates?

"I guess it's a combination of whimsy and a sense of obligation to support an organization that encourages others to move into Baltimore City," explains Terry Holthause, a bidder who has also volunteered for Live Baltimore on occasion. He was also attracted by the fact that part of the cost is eligible for a charitable deduction, and added that "having the license plate will eliminate the need to keep the `I City Life' bumper sticker on my car."

Saying he's "sick of suburbanite friends bashing the city," 20-year Baltimore city resident Greg Baranoski says the plates tell people "we think this is a great place to live." Not wanting one of his two cars to be left out, Baranoski, a self-described "dedicated city dweller," has bid on both the number 13 and 14 plates.

For those seeking a less expensive way to express their Baltimore pride, the plates go on sale to the general public on July 1 for $45. Twenty dollars from each sale goes to the Live Baltimore Home Center, while the rest covers the fee to the state Motor Vehicle Administration.

But don't call the MVA looking for your plate.

The "I City Life" plate is what the MVA refers to as an "organizational plate." In contrast to other vanity license plates, these plates can only be purchased with permission from the designated organization. Live Baltimore will, however, pick up your plate at the MVA and ship it directly to you.

American Skyline Insurance Co. and the Anderson Automotive group are co-sponsors of the plates with Live Baltimore. According to Live Baltimore spokeswoman Madeline Lettre, the plates will "encourage positive feelings about the city of Baltimore" while also advertising the group's Web site, where visitors can learn about city neighborhoods, rental and home-buying options in the area, local events and much more.

To take part in an auction, go online to http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/livebaltimoreauction. As of July 1, tags can be purchased online at www.LiveBaltimore.com.