Subway Decor: MTA Opens Auction for MetroCard Vending Machines
If you ever wanted a nostalgic piece of the subway in your living room, now if your chance. The MTA has started taking bids for dozens of subway vending machines, which once were the go-to stop to purchase MetroCards.
| 05 Aug 2026 | 02:36
The NYC MTA will auction of a limited number of vintage MetroCard vending machines (left) and express machines (right), with a starting bid of $1500 to take home a blast from the subway’s past. (
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The NYC division of the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) opened a two-week auction for a limited number of decommissioned subway MetroCard express and vending machines for nostalgic New Yorkers to bid on and take home.
“Want to own a piece of New York City history?” Vivian N., who works in MTA procurement, said in a promotional video.
The machines, which were first installed in 1999, used to rule the underground subway system, with millions of riders using the machines to pick up a MetroCard that replaced the old time subway token and for nearly 30 years was the only way to pay the subway fare. At their peak, the MTA reported, there were thousands of machines throughout the subway system. The last day to buy or refill a Metro Card was Dec. 31, 2025 rendering the bulky vending machines useless. Although cards with a balance can still be swiped, MetroCards have been phased out with riders able to use OMNY cards and digital wallets at turnstiles.
Bids for either version of the machine start at $1,500, with the ability to bid on up to 5 machines. Additionally, as part of the auction, the MTA is also selling a series of accessories ranging from $50-275: assembly pieces, printers, machine placards, and the ability to purchase a roll of 750 MetroCards. The machines themselves are not operative and are instead being presented as collectible memorabilia.
Part of the catch, however, is that successful bidders have to pick up the machines themselves within 10 days of Aug. 19, the last day of the auction. The vending machines weigh in at around 1,030 pounds and are 80 inches tall, while the express machines come in at around 205 pounds and are 42 inches tall. Pick-up locations will be in Brooklyn and Queens.
Bidders will also not be able to choose which specific machine out of the model they selected to receive. The MTA did not specify how many machines are up for grabs, only saying there are dozens available.
“My wife would divorce me on the spot,” ‘X’ user Brandon Weiss wrote under the MTA’s post.
The auction period opened August 5 and runs until August 19.