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Compass chaos: Vancouverites reselling the 'Mini Train' for over 6 times the price

Sprawling lines led to exorbitant online offers from private sellers.

Throngs of Metro Vancouverites waited in sprawling lines for a fun new offering from the region's transit agency early Wednesday (Dec. 14) morning.

TransLink started selling a limited quantity of Compass Mini-Trains at 9 a.m. at Waterfront SkyTrain Station, after first announcing the new payment product on Tuesday evening.

The transportation agency released 3,000 blue adult Mini-Trains and 2,000 orange concession Mini-Trains for a $6 refundable deposit.

Despite having a limit of four per person, the pint-sized product sold out quickly. Customers lined up before TransLink started offering them, with the lineup wrapping around the front of the Downtown Vancouver transit hub. 

TransLink Mini Train re-sold on Facebook Marketplace in Metro Vancouver 

The Mini Train is a miniature model SkyTrain that can attach to a keyring, and works like the Compass Card and Compass Wristband, allowing customers to tap in and out on transit.

But the Compass Mini-Train has a unique feature that sets it apart from other Compass offerings: it lights up when tapped.

People have already started reselling the items on Facebook Marketplace, with some sellers offering the product for over six times the original $6 price. 

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Compass Mini Trains for sale on Facebook Marketplace for an inflated price. Photo via Facebook Marketplace

Limited-release TransLink items are coveted across the Lower Mainland, as well as the company's other transit merchandise, which is available for purchase in its online transit store.

This isn't the first time a limited-edition transit item has elicited a sweeping response from Metro Vancouverites. In 2019, people waited in snaking lines to get the Compass Mini card, which was also re-sold online for significantly higher than the original price.