New Yorkers queue for hours to buy old subway signs and seats at MTA sale
New Yorkers gathered in Brooklyn for an annual MTA sale to purchase retired subway memorabilia, including signs and plastic seats. The event highlights the deep cultural connection residents maintain with the city's transit system despite its operational challenges.
Why it matters
The popularity of the sale demonstrates how public infrastructure can become a significant part of a city's cultural identity and heritage.
New Yorkers waited for hours in south Brooklyn to buy old subway signs, plastic seats and other items removed from the city's transit system at an annual sale organised by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) on Sunday.The two-day sale connected to New York's subway system offered station signs, seats and MetroCards, many of which had once been part of everyday journeys across the city. According to a report by news agency AFP, around 4,000 people attend the event each year.While some signs were priced at more than $1,000, the familiar orange subway seats were sold for around $900 each. Among the shoppers was also filmmaker Spike Lee, who bought a metal sign bearing the name of Penn Station.The sale took place at an open-air market in south Brooklyn, where visitors queued for hours before being allowed inside.
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