Former Queenstown resident Shaun Robb is putting one of his most-prized possessions under the hammer this week — an item he bought about 30 years ago after returning home from a fairly hectic night out at former resort nightspot, Chico’s Bar & Grill.
Mr Robb said he got back to his Fernhill house, turned on the television and they were advertising personalised plates — which had only been out for a few weeks at the time.
He thought he would see if "QTOWN" was available and, when he discovered it was, decided to buy it.
"[But] I didn’t have a credit card, so I woke my girlfriend, at the time, up ... and was like, ‘honey, I need your credit card’," he said.
Mr Robb, who now lives in Australia’s Byron Bay, believed he paid about $230 for the plate.
He had been approached with offers to buy it a few times over the years — one person offering $20,000 — but had always declined.
He decided to put it up for auction with Webb’s to help fund special schooling for one of his daughters.
It will go up at 2pm on Sunday in a "collectors’ cars, motorcyles and automobilia" auction. Webb’s estimated it could fetch up to $30,000.
