The World Trade Center may be gone, but ephemera continues to appear on sites like eBay. Currently listed are two brass keys that sellers say are from the Twin Towers. One has raised letters reading “WORLD TRADE CENTER DO NOT DUPLICATE,” which the seller global-foto-archive says means it was cast in brass and not printed in the locksmith department of the Twin Towers. The back of the key has the numbers 281256871 engraved. The seller’s father was a collector of New York City skyscraper items, and the seller listed this brass key with a visitor pass saved by his father from a visit to the offices of Raymond James, a financial firm. Together they are listed for $489, and the listing expires in 26 days.
Another World Trade Center key is listed on eBay $250 and ends in 11 hours. The letters are engraved, instead of raised. The seller yellowrose47shopping writes in the description that it has the numbers 2B2 074894, “the 2B2 means it was for the 2nd building.” An article by the Commercial Observer claims that the brass keys were used to access the parking garages, later changed to insert keys to prevent security breaches like the 1993 terrorist attacks.
Other current World Trade Center collectors items available on eBay include a 1977 Observation Deck ticket, Windows on the World matchbooks, viewing platform ticket in red, and another in blue, a ticket to Top of the World, and an official shopping and dining guide to the Twin Towers.
Next, read about the lost neighborhood of Radio Row that became the site of the World Trade Center.
