Photo Courtesy of DCAS
Previously auctioned items include marine vessels, other DOT collabs, and more.
Today, the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) and the Department of Transportation announced the auction of an authentic ‘Champions Way’ sign that hung on Broadway during the ticker-tape parade celebrating the 2026 NBA champion New York Knicks.
The blue and orange sign is one of just 30 that were displayed along the Canyon of Heroes and will be up for auction on the city’s online surplus auction website.
To celebrate the latest auction, DCAS is counting down its top five (#Knicksinfive) most iconic auctions, chock-full of New York City memorabilia.
#5
More Than 1,500 Antique Traffic-Signal Lenses
Date sold: April 29, 2024
Opening price: $100.00
Final sale price: $8,500.00
In yet another DOT-collab auction, the DCAS auctioned a collection of more than 1,500 traffic-signal lenses estimated to be more than 40 years old.
The six-pallet lot included approximately 36 boxes of red arrow lenses, seven boxes of pedestrian-signal lenses, 56 boxes of traffic lenses in assorted colors, and 18 boxes of smaller lenses. The final sale price was $8,500.00.
#4
Three 20-Inch Submersible Explosion-Proof Pumps
Date sold: September 4, 2023
Opening price: $35,000.00
Final sale price: $35,000.00
In 2023, the City of New York put three Sulzer, 20-inch submersible, explosion-proof pumps designed for heavy-duty wastewater or industrial applications up for auction.
Each featured 20-inch suction and discharge openings, a 295-horsepower motor, and an estimated capacity of approximately 18 million gallons per day.
Each pump weighed approximately 7,300 pounds and stood roughly 100 inches high.
#3
Date sold: July 23, 2025
Opening price: $8,000.00
Final sale price: $203,000.00
Perhaps not the last nautical-themed item on the list, New York City Oil Barge No. 4—auctioned in 2025—was an approximately 114-foot steel vessel built on December 15, 1967.
The barge measured approximately 35 feet across with a reported depth of 10 feet. It had supported the city’s marine fuel operations and was sold as a complete vessel.
#2
Date sold: July 15, 2022
Opening price: $6,500
Final sale price: $235,700
In 2022, the DCAS auctioned New York City’s last remaining Redbird subway car, which retired from passenger service in 2003. The car was historic, among those used to carry visitors to and from the 1964 World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
Built during the Redbird fleet’s 1959–1963 production period, it represented the final generation of painted subway cars and featured distinctive tear-shaped metal hand grips. The car measured approximately 51 feet long, weighed 73,100 pounds, and seated 44 passengers.
#1
John F. Kennedy Staten Island Ferry
Date sold: January 19, 2022
Opening price: $125,000.00
Final sale price: $280,100.00
Perhaps the most iconic DCAS-auctioned item to date (yet), the John F. Kennedy, a double-ended passenger and vehicle ferry, was built in Orange, Texas, in 1965 and retired after more than five decades of service.
The vessel measured approximately 277 feet long and 69 feet wide, with a depth of 19.1 feet, an air draft of 70 feet and total engine output of 4,110 horsepower.
The ferry was decommissioned because of propulsion-related problems and famously sold to Pete Davidson and Colin Jost.
DCAS’ Office of Citywide Procurement handles surplus city property, either transferring it to other city agencies if it is needed, auctioning it off if it is no longer of use by the City of New York, or, in certain circumstances, disposing of the property. Surplus property sales are managed through online auctions.
For more information or to view current goods, please visit: DCAS Surplus Goods Auctions.
About the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services
The NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) makes city government work for all New Yorkers. Our commitment to equity, effectiveness, and sustainability guides our work providing city agencies with the resources and support needed to succeed, including:
- Recruiting, hiring, and training city employees.
- Managing 56 public buildings.
- Acquiring, selling, and leasing city property.
- Purchasing over $1 billion in goods and services for city agencies.
- Overseeing the greenest municipal vehicle fleet in the country.
- Leading the city’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions from government operations.
Learn more about DCAS by visiting nyc.gov/dcas and by following us on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and listening to the Inside Citywide podcast.
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