A student living in Gibraltar is hoping to add a few more licence plates to his worldly collection and is seeking some from the Cook Islands.

Seventeen year-old Tomas Novotny, originally from Czech Republic, has been collecting licence plates from around the world since 2019.

He has a collection of over 2000 number plates from over 100 countries, and now, is hoping to get his hands on a few more from the Cook Islands.  

Posting to a number of different Facebook pages on Wednesday, he said: “They can be old style, new style, bad condition, I don't mind.”

“(But) I prefer not to have mint ones though, where possible.”

Novotny said that in return for Cook Island plates, he would be happy to send a nice gift box of Gibraltar and Spanish foods, snacks and sweets, and souvenirs to say thank you.

He added that he is happy to pay for postage and packaging, with the Cook Islands number plates being one of the last missing from his collection.

“I would absolutely love to have some,” he said online. “I have been able to get over 100 countries so far, (but) unfortunately, none from the Cook Islands.”

“I would be eternally grateful if anyone from the area would be so kind and helped me with my collection, and allowed me to have a few more plates from your beautiful country.”

Local resident Tiana Haxton, who saw Novotny’s post online, said she will be sending him two licence plates to help with his collection - one for a motorbike here in the Cook Islands and one which is a Cook Islands Kia Orana souvenir.

Along with other people in the community who have shown interest in helping Novotny, Haxton says the plan is to get a good number of licence plates gathered together first, before sending them across to Australia.

Haxton shared that in Australia Novotny has a friend who will help send these number plates onwards to the young collector, who is living on Spain’s south coast.

“You can tell he is really enthusiastic about collecting number plates from all,” says Haxton, who spoke with Novotny over Zoom.

“He is aiming to get one from every country … and has a few ideas on how to display them.

“Growing up in New Zealand, I have a cousin who collected stamps, and my dad he collected coins (too), and I inherited some of his coins.

“I think people who collect things are really cool.”

Haxton adds that Novotny has a few favourite licence plates among his collection, including one which is polar bear shaped from Canada.

He hopes his collection will eventually get him into the Guinness book of world records, says Haxton.