MTA is auctioning off MetroCard vending machines
By Tdorante10 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Via Wikimedia
The sturdy steel vending machines with giant buttons and colorful hardware that spit out MetroCards to commuting New Yorkers for 30 years are now a thing of the past, with the ubiquitous rollout of OMNY. But some transit enthusiasts can relive the glory days of the devices: The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Wednesday said it is auctioning off a limited number of MetroCard Vending Machines and MetroCard Express Machines. Note that the winning bidder must pick up the machines, which weigh over 1,000 pounds, themselves.
Designed by Antenna Design’s Masamichi Udagawa and Sigi Moeslinger, the vending machines featured an intuitive interface, guiding commuters on how to pay for fare cards with extra-large font and primary color-coded hardware. Plus, the “stainless-steel casing and ceramic-coated bezels” prevented graffiti and scratching, and made it easy to clean, according to the designers.
As Curbed reported in 2022, the Antenna machines were actually the MTA’s second attempt. The first type “everyone hated,” because, Udagawa told the website, the machines were designed by engineers who did not think about the fastest and easiest way New Yorkers could get their MetroCards.
MetroCards, which ended their run last December, and the machines that dispensed them, are now looked back on fondly by those who appreciate good and functional design. Paola Antonelli, a senior curator for architecture and design at the Museum of Modern Art, told Curbed in an interview that she loved the sheer scale of the machines.
“You could just use your whole hand to push one of those buttons. It was this kind of sturdiness that I loved about it. No nonsense,” Antonelli said. “It made me think of one of those MTA workers that emerged from tunnels wearing their orange vests and their gloves. It had something that was truly just like New York.”
The auction for the vending machines opened on Wednesday, August 5, and will run through August 25 at 8 p.m. The larger MetroCard machines are 80 inches long, 42 inches wide, 36 inches deep, and weigh 1,050 pounds. The more compact express machines are 21 inches long, 14 inches wide, and 42 inches high, and weigh about 210 pounds.
Successful bidders will be notified by email after the auction closes. The machines will be sold as-is, and come in “various stages of wear and tear.” Electronic and payment processing components have been removed, according to the MTA. Pick-ups need to be scheduled in advance and take place within 10 days.
The MTA routinely sells subway and bus memorabilia throughout the year, including a special holiday sale in December. Collectibles offered include subway signs, wooden station benches, strip maps, trash cans, and more.
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