Newsman: The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) officially discontinued MetroCards – first introduced in 1994 – on Dec. 31, making a full switch to contactless, tap-and-go payments. Though MetroCards are no longer available for purchase through the MTA, brand-new and well-loved MetroCards are are making a big comeback on resell sites.
NYC Metro Cards may have been laid to rest last week, but the Metro cards used for decades to pay for public transportation in the Big Apple, are selling for anywhere between $6 and $5,000 on resell sites like eBay.
While the majority of resell listings are for the bright yellow and blue MetroCard most are familiar with, some listings offer cards that may be more collectible. As of Jan. 5, eBay listings included a set of four original MetroCards, in unsealed packaging, from the cards’ debut in 1994; a Notorious B.I.G. collaboration from 2022; and a green Student Pass that expired in 2002.
Despite being out of circulation for more than 20 years, New York subway tokens are listed for very little on resell sites like eBay, averaging anywhere between $10 and $50 for a handful. First introduced in 1953, the MTA phased out the tokens in 2003.
