Hundreds gather to scavenge vintage Montreal Metro memorabilia at STM garage sale

If you've ever fancied a Metro driver's chair smack-dab in the middle of your living room, Sunday was your chance.

Montreal's public transit agency (STM) held a garage sale of metro memorabilia that had hundreds lining up outside the Garage Bellechasse on Casgrain Street.

Up for grabs were old metro station platform signs, bus fare boxes and parts of the old MR-63 metro cars.

"We wanted to make it available to our clients and people who like to remember things about public transit history," said the STM's chairman of the board, Philippe Schnobb.

The sale started at 10 a.m. It was first come, first serve, and some vintage hunters lined up as early as 7 a.m. to have the first pick. 

Olivier Leblanc was visiting from the Magdalen Islands this weekend and took the opportunity to shop around at the garage sale. 

"It reminds me of my youth," said Leblanc, who grew up in Montreal. 

He left with an Lionel-Groulx Metro sign and an old bus fare box that he says he'll use as a piggy bank. 

"It's a part of history of Montreal. It reminds me of when I was young and we used to pay $2 for tickets," Leblanc said.

Shoppers were allowed to buy three items each.

"We don't have a large quantity of items," Schnobb said. "I want people to understand that they're very vintage products."

Schnobb said the idea for the sale came out of the simple need to clear out the garage, which is set to be demolished.

"We said, 'Why don't we sell those items to people?" he said.

Prices ranged from $45 to $500. 

All the proceeds will go to charity groups supported by the STM, he said. 

With files from CBC's Sarah Leavitt