Why thousands of transit buffs came out in droves to buy a piece of NYC subway history at annual MTA pop-up shop

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. Celestin was in line for the second day of the MTA's Memorabilia Collectible Pop-Up Shop. The annual event provides a rare opportunity for transit obsessives like himself to buy decommissioned pieces of the city's transit system, such as station signs and the iconic orange and yellow train seats. [caption id="attachment_137874472" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Subway enthusiasts checking out decommissioned station signs at the annual Memorabilia Collectible Pop-Up Shop. Friday, Oct. 9, 2026.Photo by Lloyd Mitchell[/caption] 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's 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 fami