Springfield Museums' Dr. Seuss license plate auction is live through March 10. Opening bids for the 99 low-number plates range from $1,000 to $25,000.
“One hundred percent of the proceeds go towards the Springfield Museums’ literacy, education, STEM, [and] STEAM learning programs,” said the museums' director of development, Emilie Czupryna. “All of [it] goes to supporting what we do here.”
Springfield Museums is home to The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum. The author and illustrator grew up in the city.
The virtual auction is open to licensed Massachusetts residents who have a registered passenger car. Bidders can access the auction by visiting the museum’s webpage or texting "DrSeussPlates" to 76278.
“Once you're at the auction site, you're going to see a button entitled 'browse, bid and buy,'” said the museums' vice president of advancement, Scott Berg. “Each plate, one through 99, has a specific opening bid number and you can pick your plate.”
For those who can't afford one of the low-number plates, four-digit specialty Dr. Seuss plates can be purchased for $40 through local RMVs.
“It was actually six years ago, almost to the day, that the museums began a campaign to offer a license plate featuring the beloved and adorable Cat in the Hat,” said Kay Simpson, the museums’ president and CEO.
After stalling during the COVID pandemic, the campaign was revitalized last February when the museum successfully presold plates 100 through 999. Once that threshold was met, the RMV put the plates into production.
“Now, one year later, drivers have received their plates and they have been spotted 'here, there and everywhere,'” Simpson said.
Disclosure: Springfield Museums is a financial supporter of New England Public Media. Our newsroom operates independently of the NEPM's fundraising department.
