Subway signs, R46 seats and Spike Lee: thousands lined up for the MTA's memorabilia sale in Gravesend

Transit fans lined up for blocks in Gravesend, Brooklyn, on Thursday and Friday for a rare chance to take home a piece of the subway: New York City Transit's annual Memorabilia and Collectibles Pop-Up Shop.

The outdoor sale ran from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. both days at an MTA lot at 23 Avenue X, next to the Bay 50 St station on the D line, according to the MTA. It was walk-in only, with no reservations, and each shopper got a 45-minute window. The agency took only Visa and Mastercard, no cash, and buyers had to haul their purchases away themselves.

A line that starts the night before

About 4,000 people line up for the sale each year, and some people who came on Thursday started waiting as early as 10 p.m. the night before, amNewYork reported. ABC7 put the two-day crowd at 3,000 to 5,000.

The MTA official who runs the event told amNewYork that the agency has sold surplus items for about 30 years, but the in-person pop-up began five years ago as a kind of garage sale and turned out to be far more popular than expected. The MTA has sold an average of 2,200 items per event over the last two years, according to the agency.

What sold, and for how much

Crews collect the inventory all year from stations being renovated and from retired trains, and store it in shipping containers on the site. This year's sale included station signs, station globes, grab handles and turnstiles, ABC7 reported, with prices from about $100 to $3,000.

MetroCard signs, the orange and yellow seats from decommissioned R46 subway cars and the R46 logos were among the most popular items, amNewYork reported. A set of three used seats went for $1,000, two new seats for $900 and two used seats for $650. Most items cost a few hundred dollars, while MetroCards, maps and poles were under $100. Sign prices depend on size, material, lettering and the station's location or history, the organizer said.

Among the buyers was director Spike Lee, who took home a sign from the 34 St-Penn Station stop, the station for Madison Square Garden, amNewYork reported.

Missed it?

The pop-up is held once a year. Online sales are currently unavailable, but the MTA says some collectibles are still for sale and asks interested buyers to email its asset recovery team at asset.recovery@nyct.com, which also keeps a mailing list for future sales.