Metrocard Collecting

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Does anyone collect Metrocards? If you take a look at ebay you can see that this hobby is pretty popular. Unfortunately there is not really any kind of Metrocard price guide that I know of.

[F40]

I have unofficially started to collect them, from my mom who regularly rides the subway on Sundays. However, I've only started recently, and I haven't been up to date on them lately either. So far I have 6 different MetroCards, two MetroCard SingleRides, and a MetroCard Bus Transfer (yes I keep the latter 2 items too):

1. Traditional MetroCard (with 'for the subway', 'for the bus' delineations)

2. 1904-2004 Centennial Special (black and white photos of stations during those 'old days') "Subway service was extended to Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, on the 4th Av line in 1916." (Picture is a c.1916 entrance to Bay Ridge station on street level w/ houses in background) This has the Channel 4 NBC logo.

3. 1904-2004 Centennial Special. "72nd St was one of the 28 original stations on the IRT line, 1904." (Picture of 72nd St entrance with a trolley-type vehicle in background)

4. "Safety" MetroCard: Surf the web - not the train. The only safe ride is the ride inside. Going your way - the safe way.

5. 1904-2004 Centennial Special. "Excavation for the New Subway: 42nd and Vanderbilt to Times Square, 1902." (Picture of the underground trench laden with arrays of wood down a NYC corridor at street level)

6. 1904-2004 Centennial Special. "In 1915, subway service was extended to Queens, where it ran along Queens Boulevard." (Aerial picture of the concrete portion of the 7 line, going off to the distance.) This has the Channel 4 NBC logo.

I know there are more safety MetroCards out there (also "If you see something, say something") and more Centennial specials as well. I'd like to collect them all.

I also vaguely remember the "sweepstakes" MetroCard, was it? But I didn't think of collecting MetroCards then.

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Here is a good site that shows all the different Metrocards that have been available over the years:

http://stamptraders.com/metrocard/

Unfortunately, it doesn't show the amount of cards that were made for all of them. It does have pictures of all the cards though.

[MACTRAXX]

Arrow: I collect Metrocards as well as railway passes and tickets. I just looked in the Stamptraders website for what they have on Metrocards. The earlier years HAVE information on how many of each card were made. in 1995 there was a NY Times MC that only 1000 were made-I recall it was for a subscription drive-and on EBAY someone put one up for sale and it went for well over a hundred dollars. The info lists the number made as "Sets" - I figure for cards that were issued as sort of a group. The NY Mets/Yankees First Subway Series was a group of three issued in 1997 as an example. But,by 2000 the info on quantity just was not there. The MTA issued a poster a few years ago on the collectible cards showing the design and quantity made. There are metrocards that are "off the radar screen" such as transitchecks and monthly LIRR/MNCR passes. These began to be printed for Mail-n-ride subscribers in about 1997 but were gradually phased in for all ticket holders by the middle of 2003. With all the variations on everything to safety warnings to advertising, it is something interesting to collect. MACTRAXX

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Yes, the NY Times card is pretty much the rarest of all Metrocards with only 1000 being minted. I have seen it sell on ebay for well over $900! Other rare cards are the four inaugrual limited edition cards (4000 made) which are worth $150-$200 on ebay, the International Conference 2000 card (about 1700 made) which sold for $200.

NY Rangers set from 1994 (10,000 made) recently sold for $150 (for the set of 4 cards). Ringling Brothers circus cards (also set of 4 - 20000 made) are also rare (especially the tiger card) and can sell for about $150 on ebay as well.

I have that poster that you are talking about and besides being nice to look at, it is good because it shows every card that was made from 1994-1999 and tells you how many of each card was produced. The poster was part of a contest that MTA started to celebrate 5 years of Metrocard. You had to send in a vote for your favorite card and you would be entered into a drawing. The winner of the drawing received one of EVERY Metrocard. That's some prize for a collector!

[Dylanchris73]

Anyone have any of the old blue ones?