NEED TO KNOW
New York City’s MTA is auctioning off decommissioned MetroCard vending machines
Those interested in the pieces of transit history can submit bids from Aug. 5 through Aug. 19
The machines, first installed in 1999, are no longer necessary since MetroCards were discontinued in 2025
Miss the MetroCard? Want to take a piece of the Big Apple home? Now’s your chance!
Six months after discontinuing the use of MetroCards for access to the New York City’s public transit system, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced that it is auctioning off some of the machines that used to vend them.
The MTA is putting a “limited number” of MetroCard Vending Machines and MetroCard Express Machines up for auction, the public benefit corporation shared on X on Wednesday, Aug. 5.
Both machines are likely familiar to most N.Y.C. residents and regular subway commuters, as they previously allowed riders to buy and reload their now-retired yellow transit cards.
MetroCard Vending Machines are over two decades old, having first been installed around N.Y.C. in January 1999, according to the MTA. These are much larger, standalone metal machines, while the express machines were introduced later as a supplement at busy stations, according to the corporation’s website.
Two MetroCard Vending Machine pictured in 2023
Credit: Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty
At their “peak,” thousands of machines like the two models peppered the N.Y.C. subway system, according to Vivian N., a representative with the MTA’s Procurement department.
Those interested in bidding on one of the earlier machines should make room, as they are about 80 inches tall and weigh approximately 1,050 lbs. The express machines are much smaller, measuring in at about 21 inches long and weighing about 210 lbs., per the MTA.
Anyone interested in owning one of the decommissioned machines, billed by the MTA as “a piece of transit history,” has a two-week window to bid.
The exact total of available machines is unclear, though a video announcing the auction states there are “dozens.”
The MTA auction opened on Wednesday, Aug. 5 at 8 a.m. local time, and all offers must be in via the official bidding form by Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026 at 8 p.m.
“This is your chance to bid on an authentic MetroCard vending machine and accessories – first installed in 1999, the colorful metal MVM and MEM are familiar to the millions of riders who take the subway each day,” the form states. “There are a limited number of machines available through this auction.”
The form continues: “Whether you’re a collector, a transit enthusiast, or someone who just loves the industrial design, these machines are a rare find!”
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A bid on one of the machines does not guarantee purchase, the MTA states on its website. The corporation also says anyone who submits a bid should read the terms and conditions, ensure they can pay for the machine if their bid is successful, and be sure they can pick up one of the machines within a 10-day window.
The MetroCard machine auction comes months after the MTA discontinued its longtime yellow transit cards at the end of 2025. Customers must now use a credit card, debit card, smartphone, wearable device or a One Metro New York (OMNY) Card to access N.Y.C.’s transit options.
Read the original article on People