{"id":369778,"date":"2026-10-10T14:12:19","date_gmt":"2026-10-10T14:12:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/369778\/"},"modified":"2026-10-10T14:12:19","modified_gmt":"2026-10-10T14:12:19","slug":"why-thousands-of-transit-buffs-came-out-in-droves-to-buy-a-piece-of-nyc-subway-history-at-annual-mta-pop-up-shop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/369778\/","title":{"rendered":"Why thousands of transit buffs came out in droves to buy a piece of NYC subway history at annual MTA pop-up shop"},"content":{"rendered":"

Austin Celestin lined up below the elevated D train in Gravesend, Brooklyn, early on the morning of Friday, Oct. 9, hoping to take home a meaningful piece of the New York City subway<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Celestin was in line for the second day of the MTA\u2019s Memorabilia & Collectible Pop-Up Shop. The annual event<\/a> provides a rare opportunity for transit obsessives like himself to buy decommissioned pieces of the city\u2019s transit system, such as station signs and the iconic orange and yellow train seats.<\/p>\n

\"\"Subway enthusiasts checking out decommissioned station signs at the annual Memorabilia & Collectible Pop-Up Shop. Friday, Oct. 9, 2026.Photo by Lloyd Mitchell<\/p>\n

Celestin came to the pop-up set on buying a sign from the 66 St-Lincoln Center 1 train station near where he grew up on Manhattan\u2019s Upper West Side. While those signs ended up being too pricey for Celestin, he said he was able to nab a more affordable one from another familiar stop: the 59 St-Columbus Circle 1, A, B, C, and D station.<\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up taking the subway, I love taking the subway, and being able to have a piece of it, it\u2019s a nice opportunity,\u201d Celestin told amNewYork, while holding the sign he purchased, which once pointed straphangers to the station\u2019s 58th Street exit and the uptown A, B, C, and D platform.<\/p>\n

\"\"Austin Celestin standing with the sign that he purchased at the annual MTA Memorabilia and Collectible Pop-Up Shop event. Friday, Oct, 9, 2026.Photo by Lloyd Mitchell<\/p>\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t get the Lincoln Center sign; that\u2019s where I grew up. And those signs were way way way too much [money],\u201d he continued. \u201cBut Columbus Circle is a stop that I also use frequently\u2026This is actually a sign that would be in an exit near where I would usually get off in the Time Warner Center. So, finding something of sentimental value also really strikes a chord.\u201d<\/p>\n

Celestin was just one of roughly 4,000 New Yorkers who line up each year outside the nondescript yard where the MTA holds the event to purchase a piece of New York City transit history.\n<\/p>\n

While Celestin decided to secure a spot in the queue two hours before the pop-up opened its doors at 9:15 a.m. on Oct. 9, other transit buffs who attended it on Thursday began lining up as early as 10 p.m. the night before.<\/p>\n

\"\"The line for the annual Memorabilia & Collectible Pop-Up Shop wrapped around the block outside of the Graves End, Brooklyn lot where its held on the morning of Friday, Oct. 9, 2026.Photo by Lloyd Mitchell<\/p>\n

The long lines are partially due to the event\u2019s limited nature. It is open once a year, over two days, for just a few hours each; it only allows patrons to buy items in person. No one may reserve times in advance.<\/p>\n

But Paul Dovskin, the director of asset recovery and supply management at the MTA\u2019s Department of Procurement, who runs the event, said the reason for its popularity is even simpler.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s nothing more New York than the subway system; that\u2019s just what it is\u201d Dovskin said.\u00a0
\n\"\"Paul Dovskin, the director of asset recovery and supply management at the MTA\u2019s Department of Procurement, who runs the agency\u2019s annual Memorabilia & Collectible Pop-Up Shop. Friday, Oct. 9, 2026.Photo by Lloyd Mitchell\n<\/p>\n

However, Dovskin said that even though the MTA has been selling surplus inventory for 30 years, the pop-up format is still relatively new.<\/p>\n

\u201cFive years ago an idea was born to hold a garage sale of sorts and to let people just come in and purchase these items in person,\u201d Dovskin said. \u201cIt just ended up being significantly more popular than we ever thought it would be. And then the idea was born. And since then, every year we\u2019ve been holding this event.\u201d<\/p>\n

The MTA sells an average of 2,200 items at the event each year, based on the last two years, according to the agency.\n<\/p>\n

Dovskin said the inventory comes from pieces of the transit system that MTA crews gather and store in shipping containers on the site throughout the year. Those include signage that has been replaced, parts of out-of-service train cars \u2014 such as seats and poles, MetroCards, and much more.<\/p>\n

\"\"Rows of decommissioned subway station signs on sale at the MTA\u2019s annual pop-up shop event. Friday, Oct. 9, 2026.Photo by Lloyd Mitchell<\/p>\n

This year, Dovskin said, MetroCard signs, the orange and yellow seats from decommissioned R46 subway cars, and the logos from those trains have been among the most popular items.<\/p>\n

When it comes to the seats, Dovskin said people find all sorts of uses for them.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cSome people just put them in their living rooms, or in their kitchens,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s also bar owners and pizzeria owners who want to create that transit \u2026 Lots of different stories, lots of different ideas. You know, man caves, basements, stuff like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Rows of the iconic orange and yellow subway seats being sold by the MTA. Friday, Oct. 9, 2026.Photo by Lloyd Mitchell<\/p>\n

But a set of three used subway seats at the event goes for $1,000, while sets of two new seats cost $900 and two used seats cost $650. Most items cost somewhere in the hundreds of dollars, though some, such as MetroCards, maps, and poles, cost less than $100.<\/p>\n

Another transit aficionado, Ted Sands, said that while he would like to attend the event next year, he may not because of the prices.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s expensive, that\u2019s the only part that\u2019s intense,\u201d Sands said. He was able to find a station sign for Pacific Street, near where he used to live.
\n\"\"Subway enthusiast Ted Sands holds up a sign he bought at the MTA\u2019s annual pop-up shop event. Friday, Oct. 9, 2026.Photo by Lloyd Mitchell\n<\/p>\n

Dovskin said there are a number of factors that go into how the MTA determines the prices.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the station signs, a lot depends on the size of the signs, the material it\u2019s made of, the lettering,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd obviously the geographical location or historical significance of the sign.\u201d<\/p>\n

Among the event\u2019s many attendees was Spike Lee, the director of classic films like\u201dDo the Right Thing\u201d and \u201cMalcolm X\u201d and a noted New York Knicks superfan. True to form, Lee bought a sign from the 34 Street Penn Station subway \u2014 the stop for Madison Square Garden, where the 2025-26 NBA Champion Knicks play.<\/p>\n

When asked by amNewYork why he came out to the pop-up shop, Lee simply said: \u201cI\u2019m a collector.\u201d
\n\"\"Director Spike Lee holding the 34 St-Penn Station sign he bought at the MTA pop-up shop. Friday, Oct. 9, 2026.Photo by Lloyd Mitchell\n<\/p>\n

Michelle Pillepich said she was drawn to the event by seeing a subway sign hanging in her friend\u2019s apartment.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t even know if she got it here,\u201d Pillepich said. \u201cI don\u2019t know if it was stolen or what, but I\u2019ve always thought it was so cool.\u201d<\/p>\n

Similar to other shoppers, Pillepich came in with an idea of what she wanted to buy.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI used to live on the Upper East Side, and I always took the Q train,\u201d she said. \u201cSo anything Q would be cool. But I\u2019m kind of just looking for whatever looks fun and iconic New York.\u201d<\/p>\n

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