when was the first radio flyer wagon made

How did the Radio Flyer wagon get its name?

In 1927, creator Antonio Pasin took his two favorite inventions and combined them to come up with the name of his classic wagon: radios and airplanes. A classic, metal red Radio Flyer wagon sells for about $100 these days.

Who invented the Radio Flyer?

But when Antonio Pasin—inventor of the Radio Flyer—decided to invest $30,000 into a coaster wagon exhibit for the 1933 World’s Fair, he considered it the riskiest make-or-break moment of his life.

Do they still make wood stake Radio Flyer wagons?

“We still have one of the wood stake radio flyer wagons. I’d buy a new one for my grandkids if they still made them. sincerely,” -Ray Paddock Sr, MSGT USAF Retired.

What year did Radio Flyer wagons come out?

In 1994, Radio Flyer released the company's first ever plastic wagon, Model #2100 Push Pull Wagon.

What was the original name of the Radio Flyer wagon?

the Liberty Coaster CompanyRadio Flyer was formerly known as the Liberty Coaster Company. This is also the name of the company's first wagon. Its name was inspired by the iconic Statue of Liberty, which welcomed Antonio Pasin to America.

What were little red wagons called?

Radio FlyersOriginally, just the little red wagons were called Radio Flyers while the company was Liberty Coaster Wagon. It wasn't until 1987 that Liberty Coaster Wagon started calling itself Radio Flyer.

When was the Radio Flyer 89 wagon made?

1917. In retrospect, it looks like one of the savviest and most successful promotional stunts of its era. But when Antonio Pasin—inventor of the Radio Flyer—decided to invest $30,000 into a coaster wagon exhibit for the 1933 World's Fair, he considered it the riskiest make-or-break moment of his life.

Why are wagons red?

The main problem with wagons is rust. Wagons are usually painted in outdoor paint to prevent rusting, but all metal wagons will eventually get slightly battered and can then rust.

Do they still make Radio Flyer wagons?

We're still a Chicago brand," he said. Radio Flyer's tricycles, scooters and most of its other products are already made in China. A Wisconsin company makes its plastic wagons and will continue to do so. Get a head start on the morning's top stories.

When was the first toy wagon made?

1880sThe toy wagon was first produced in the 1880s. These early toys were handcrafted and made completely of wood. Over the years, steel and plastic replaced wood as the material of choice. The most famous toy red wagon is produced by Radio Flyer Incorporated, a company was started by Antonio Pasin just before the 1920s.

What year was the Radio Flyer 80 made?

Pasin named a 1927 model the “Radio Flyer,” capturing the excitement of the burgeoning radio industry.

How big is a Radio Flyer wagon?

Ages: 1½+ years. Handle to Floor: 38.5" Assembled Dimensions: 39.57" L x 17.56" W x 14.37" D. Interior Body: 33.5" x 14.5"

What is an antique Radio Flyer worth?

Value varies from under $20 to several hundred dollars, but many pre-1970s models in fair condition sell for about $30 to $75. Consider some of these models: A vintage classic red Radio Flyer with some rust and peeling paint recently sold for $75 on eBay.

Who invented the little red wagon?

Antonio PasinYou might wonder when the first Radio Flyer wagon appeared on the toy scene. If you type that very question in a search engine today you will find a very interesting story of the creator, Antonio Pasin. Pasin was an immigrant from Italy that made wooden cabinets.

What year was the Radio Flyer 18 made?

Radio Flyer is a cultural touchstone for people of all ages since we began in 1917.

Who invented the little red wagon?

Antonio PasinYou might wonder when the first Radio Flyer wagon appeared on the toy scene. If you type that very question in a search engine today you will find a very interesting story of the creator, Antonio Pasin. Pasin was an immigrant from Italy that made wooden cabinets.

Where are Radio Flyer red wagons originally made?

The space was once a Radio Flyer factory floor (the wagons themselves are now built in China).

What year was the Radio Flyer 80 made?

Pasin named a 1927 model the “Radio Flyer,” capturing the excitement of the burgeoning radio industry.

Who made Western Flyer wagons?

It began with a classic story of humble beginnings. Sixteen year-old Antonio Pasin came to America in 1914 from a small town near Venice, Italy in search of a better life in Chicago. Antonio's father & grandfather were cabinet makers and he was able to put his design skills to work by building phonograph cabinets.

Who made the radio flyer wagon?

The Radio Flyer Wagon was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame at The Strong in Rochester, New York in 1999, and its creator, Antonio Pasin, was inducted into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame in 2003.

What is the radio flyer?

For the film, see Radio Flyer (film). Radio Flyer is an American toy company best known for their popular red toy wagon. Radio Flyer also produces scooters, tricycles, bicycles, horses, and ride-ons. The company was founded in 1917 and is based in Chicago, Illinois .

What was the name of the wagons that were made in 1930?

In 1930, the company was renamed Radio Steel & Manufacturing. The renamed company produced steel-bodied wagons and used assembly line manufacturing techniques. The new Radio Flyer wagons were named as a tribute to two famous men of the day: Marconi and Lindbergh.

What color is the radio flyer tricycle?

The Radio Flyer Tricycle features the same bright red color and graphics as the little red wagon.

How tall is the largest wagon in the world?

It is 12 feet (3.7 m) high and 27 feet (8.2 m) long. The interactive sculpture was sculpted by Ken Spiering and installed in 1989. The "World's Largest Wagon" is a sculpture commissioned by Radio Flyer in honor of their 80th anniversary. It is nine times the size of a little red wagon, and weighs 15,000 pounds (6,800 kg).

What are radio flyers inspired by?

A number of designs and styles have been produced by Radio Flyer, often inspired by the automobiles or popular culture of the day. The "Zephyr", produced in the 1930s, paid homage to the Chrysler Airflow. The 1950s saw a yellow wagon inspired by the movie Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier and a blue wagon produced in partnership with Disney's Mickey Mouse Club. Wagons from the 1970s borrowed the stylings of the muscle cars of the day, including the Fireball 2001 inspired by Evel Knievel. The 1990s saw the introduction of the "Quad Shock Wagon" echoing sport utility vehicles. The "Ultimate Family Wagon", introduced in 2007, includes a sunshade and an adjustable seat; the design won a Chicago Innovation Award in 2007.

When did Liberty Coaster start making wooden coasters?

The Liberty Coaster Company began producing the wooden bodied "No. 4 Liberty Coaster" in 1923. In 1927, Pasin replaced the wooden body with stamped steel, taking advantage of assembly line manufacturing techniques and earning him the nickname "Little Ford". 1500 wagons a day rolled off assembly lines even during the Great Depression. Since 2002, the company has produced plastic as well as metal-bodied wagons.

How big was the Radio Flyer wagon?

What he revealed was a plan to shrink the standard 3-foot long Radio Flyer wagon down to a decidedly less functional 4-inch scale model—“piccino size, for the little bambinos”—and to build a boatload of them to sell as 25-cent souvenirs at the fair. Antonio believed the pocket-sized novelty prize, at a price a kid could afford, could help turn Radio Flyer into a household name once the fair’s millions of visitors had come and gone.

When did Radio Flyer stop making steel wagons?

Sacrifices had to be made along the way, however. As mentioned, Radio Flyer closed the manufacturing portion of its Chicago operations in the ‘90s, and they also discontinued the original classic steel wagon, moving over entirely to plastic. [Radio Steel & MFG employees gathered outside 6515 W. Grand Ave in the 1930s.

Why was the radio flyer called the radio flyer?

When Pasin started emulating the automobile industry and switching to a stamped steel construction in the late 1920s, he called his new wagon the “Radio Flyer” as a reference to two of the great technological feats of his lifetime. Contrary to popular belief and obscure Tom Hanks movies , the wagon could neither take flight nor broadcast episodes of “The Shadow.”

Where is Radio Flyer made?

By 1933, Pasin had set up his newly rechristened business, the Radio Steel & MFG Company, at a large manufacturing facility on Grand Avenue in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood. Radio Flyer’s corporate headquarters is, remarkably, still essentially in the same location today—although all manufacturing has unsurprisingly moved to China.

When did Liberty Coaster start?

And yet, the humble son of a Venetian cabinet maker persevered and found his niche in Chicago, using his carpentry skills to create a popular line of wooden coaster wagons—starting with the brand name Liberty in 1917. Soon, the Liberty Coaster MFG Co. was also producing tricycles, scooters and other kid vehicles—a tiny fraction of which have stood the test of time.

Who invented the radio flyer?

In retrospect, it looks like one of the savviest and most successful promotional stunts of its era. But when Antonio Pasin —inventor of the Radio Flyer—decided to invest $30,000 into a coaster wagon exhibit for the 1933 World’s Fair, he considered it the riskiest make-or-break moment of his life.

Is the 1933 mini radio still in circulation?

Considering the volume of the souvenirs produced, many of these special 1933 mini Radio Flyers are still in circulation. But as evidenced by the condition of our artifact, time can take its toll on the rubber wheels and paint job. These were meant for putting on a shelf more than playing with.

How much did the 1930 radio flyer wagon cost?

It originally sold for $3. A classic, metal red Radio Flyer wagon sells for about $100 these days. However, in 1930, they went for $3. Adjusted for inflation, that would be about $43 today.

What was the most popular wagon in the 1950s?

There were even Davy Crockett and Mouseketeer wagons in the 1950s.

What is the name of the wagon that Antonio Pasin invented?

In 1927, creator Antonio Pasin took his two favorite inventions and combined them to come up with the name of his classic wagon: radios and airplanes. Image: Radio Flyer. 2.

How tall was the boy in the wagon at the 1933 World's Fair?

It made quite the impression at the 1933 World’s Fair. Pasin took out a $30,000 loan to have a 45-foot tall statue of a boy in a wagon built for Chicago’s World’s Fair.

Did Radio Flyer survive the 90s?

Radio Flyer almost didn’t survive the late '90s. As a company that specialized in metal wagons, the popularity of plastic ones didn’t bode well. However, after some trial and error, they started manufacturing red plastic wagons, and other toys that appealed to modern kids. Now, it even makes a mini Tesla!

Did Radio Flyer make wagons?

Despite access to metal being limited during World War II, and Radio Flyer taking a break from wagon production for a couple of years to manufacture Blitz Cans. Post-war, as the suburbs boomed, the wagons again flew off the shelves. Those kids had a new abundance of space to run around with their wagons in. Around this time, the company started making wheelbarrows, too.

How much did the original Radio Flyer wagons cost?

While the wagons increased steadily in price over the years, the original Radio Flyer steel wagons only retailed for $3.00 USD each!

Who started the Liberty Coaster?

By 1923, Antonio’s business had grown to include several employees and that is when he started The Liberty Coaster Company. Why Liberty Coaster, you ask? He actually named the company after the Statue of Liberty, proud to have been welcomed into the United States.

What did Antonio do in 1923?

During the day, he would market his work. Antonio worked tirelessly and alone until 1923 when he was able to hire workers as his children’s wooden toys had gained some traction.

When did Antonio change his name to Radio Steel and Manufacturing?

In 1930 , Antonio changed the name of his company to Radio Steel and Manufacturing. It was then that he crafted and introduced his first Radio Flyer.

Do wagon parts have value?

Of note, buying wagons for parts does have value so be on the lookout. A not-so-perfect wagon could still have value.

When did radio steel stop being made?

In the 1940s, America was at war – Radio Steel & Manufacturing, and like many other American manufacturers, was asked to alter its production. From 1942 to 1945 production ceased.

Is Radio Flyer still making toys?

While the ‘Radio Flyer’ brand is commonly associated with their much-loved wagons, the company also produced tricycles and other ride-on toys over the years and is still producing much-loved children’s toys today.

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What is the history of radio flyers?

With our heritage that spans over 100 years, Radio Flyer has encountered many historical events in America’s history including the Great Depression, World War II, the Baby Boom, and the turn of the century. Our book highlights the ups and downs Radio Flyer experienced during these much remembered times in our country’s history.

What is radio flyer?

Radio Flyer is a cultural touchstone for people of all ages since we began in 1917. We are excited to share the history of this icon in our new collectible, must-have keepsake, RADIO FLYER: 100 Years of America’s Little Red Wagon by Chief Wagon Officer, Robert Pasin. This beautifully designed and illustrated book pays homage as we celebrate our ...

How many illustrations are there in Radio Flyer 100?

Packed with 250 exclusive full-color and black-and-white illustrations, stories, and original drawings from the Radio Flyer archives, RADIO FLYER: 100 Years of America’s Little Red Wagon chronicles the history of this classic brand for the first time.

Does history repeat itself in Radio Flyer?

They say history repeats itself, and in Radio Flyer’s long life, that has certainly proven to be true. Throughout the years, we have heard stories of wonder, childhood and imagination sparked from our ride on toys. These stories are told throughout the book, and share the sense of creativity and imagination that has lived within our brand for over 100 years.

Overview

The wagon

History

Radio Flyer Tricycle

Other products

In popular culture

Notes

External links