Thirty years ago, the newfangled method of paying for New York City’s buses and subways seemed like cutting-edge technology.

It’s the end of an era in New York City. The beloved flimsy yellow MetroCard, a pass to nearly 500 subway stops across all five boroughs, plus bus lines, will no longer be sold as of January 1, 2026.

The golden-yellow tickets reshaped how New Yorkers accessed the subway and became civic icons in the process.

The annual pop-up sale of retired signs and other transit artifacts from the New York City subway system attracted a line of collectors that stretched for blocks. By Camille Baker and Adrienne ...