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New York state residents are becoming less vain and less willing to flaunt their professions or favorite causes. At least that's the case if you judge by their license plates. The state saw a sharp drop-off last year in the number of New Yorkers buying vanity or custom plates. In 2009, 41,146 New Yorkers paid extra for a special plate. A year later, the number dropped slightly to 41,040. Scott Haller of East Greenbush promotes his love for ham radio with a logo on his plate, and the numbers and letters are his call sign. "I'm proud to be a ham radio operator," he said. The plate lets him contact others who share his interest and he enjoys chatting over a mobile radio after spotting people with similar plates. On a drive to Elmira, he said, he spoke for 20 minutes with a fellow enthusiast from Colorado he'd seen on the road. The DMV's Cantiello said it is hard to say exactly how much the drop in vanity and custom plates is costing the state because the prices vary. The ham radio plates are among the least expensive, $35 upfront with a $6.25 annual renewal fee. Supporting your favorite sports team costs $60 upfront and $31.25 each year.
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