Lee Roy Hartung License Plate Collection

One rule always guided Lee Roy Hartung as a collector.

“Never sell anything,” said Marjorie Cox, Mr. Hartung’s partner. That quote made the difficult decision to sell off his lifelong stash of cars, motorcycles, license plate all the more wrenching after he passed away in 2011.

A fixture of Glenview Illinois, since 1949, Mr. Hartung dealt in scrap metal, sold used cars and maintained a hauling business that aided his hobby. After a garage fire destroyed an antique bicycle collection in 1972, Mr. Hartung in built a 10,000-square-foot barn on his four-acre property and spent the next several decades stuffing it with automotive treasures.

Mr. Hartung operated the space as a museum by appointment only. In it, he stored about 80 cars, 40 motorcycles, 100 bicycles and thousands of pieces of automobilia. He had what experts called one of the most complete collections of license plates in the United States. Thousands of vintage license plates, lining the space like wallpaper, used to hang down from the wooden rafters. Arranged in 1,700 lots, the entire collection brought an estimated $4 million to $6 million at auction.

Enjoy some photos below!