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By: Meyer Wolfsheim
The MTA turned from transit operator to treasure trove on Monday, as The New York Post reports that nearly 700 shoppers lined up in Brooklyn for the agency’s annual pop-up sale. From vintage subway station signs to old train seats and MetroCard machines, the event offered a rare chance to own a quirky piece of New York City history.
“This is our fourth year doing this, and the crowd size today is the biggest one ever,” said MTA veteran James Whitaker, 50, speaking to The Post. Whitaker, who has helped run the event since its start, marveled at the turnout.
Despite heavy rain and long lines, determined shoppers stood outside the MTA’s Gravesend lot for hours, hoping to snag the perfect keepsake. For some, the sale was a farewell gift to themselves.
“New York’s getting just too expensive, and I’m looking to relocate to North Carolina, but I wanted to take a piece of New York City with me,” nurse Dierdre Plummer, 42, told The Post. Her prize? A red customer assistance intercom sign that conveniently matched her umbrella.
Others searched for items tied to their personal history. John DiMarco, a retired NYPD officer, proudly walked away with a transit police sign for $100. “I worked with Mayor Adams from ’95 to ’97 in transit,” DiMarco said to The Post. “This sign is a great reminder for me!”
Shoppers looking for standout holiday gifts also showed up in droves. Eighteen-year-old Christian O. was on a mission to find a Yankee Stadium sign for his uncle, a devoted collector. “He’ll flip over this for Christmas,” Christian said, though he worried the massive line might leave him empty-handed.
The sale didn’t come cheap, with items ranging from subway stop globes to old benches priced at around $750. The Post reported that exclusive private appointments held before Monday’s event saw antique porcelain signs for Times Square and 42nd Street sell for $2,500 apiece.
Still, not everyone walked away with their dream item. By the time the gates closed at noon, over 300 people were turned away. Brian Castro, 35, who flew in from San Francisco to bring a bit of New York back west, remained optimistic. “I guess I can always try again next year,” he told The Post.
Proceeds from the sale will help support the MTA’s general operating budget. With a staggering $68 billion needed over the next five years to keep the transit system running, every dollar counts—though some shoppers were skeptical about the impact.
“Any dollars can help, but they’re at such a deficit, I don’t think it’s going to make much of a dent,” mechanical engineer Nick Arroyo, 47, told The Post. Arroyo, who picked up a Christmas gift for his sibling, also criticized the MTA’s spending priorities. “They’re blowing money like crazy, especially on things like million-dollar surveys to figure out why people jump the turnstiles.”
The event, as reported by The New York Post, wrapped up with shoppers lugging their newly purchased treasures onto the subway—since shipping wasn’t available. Whether it was benches, dials, or Yankee Stadium signs, the sale proved that New Yorkers will stop at nothing to own a piece of their city’s iconic transit system.
