The braking system is also similar to that of a jogging stroller. Simply press it down with your foot to lock it in place, or flip it up with your toe and you’re on your way. Pay special attention to shipping prices, as these are large, heavy items that can be costly to ship. It’s also important to note wagons have value even for their parts. For example, the rails from a Radio Chief wagon sold for $26 on eBay. A wooden Radio Flyer, likely from the 1940s, sold for $150 recently, according to LiveAuctioneers.
Besides the summer home he holds in my nightmares, the statue appears to have been lost to history. But the company did celebrate its 80th anniversary in 1997 by building another giant 40-foot Radio Flyer wagon—sans boy—which is still parked outside their corporate offices in Belmont Cragin. Anniversary no. 100 arrived in 2017, though sadly, company matriarch Anna Pasin didn’t quite live to see it. Antonio’s widow died at the ripe old age of 107 (!!!) in 2016. When Antonio Pasin died in 1990 at age 93, his son Mario had already taken charge, and Mario’s son Robert took the reins in 1997.
From 1942 to 1945, the company shut down its production of wagons and made five-gallon steel gas cans for the war effort. As men returned home at the end of World War II, housing was short and the 1944 G.I. Bill subsidized mortgages, allowing many to flock to the suburbs. The sale of wagons surged during the subsequent baby boom, and Radio Flyer branched out into gardening wheelbarrows to meet changing demands. Today, Radio Flyer still makes those red wagons, but it also makes electric bikes and scooters, tricycles, bounce houses—and Teslas for kids. The factory on the west side of Chicago closed in 2004 (it’s the design office now), and most products are currently made in China.
Radio Flyer Inc. was founded by Italian immigrant Antonio Pasin. Pasin’s family had been fine woodworkers for generations, specializing in furniture and cabinetry. But he longed to leave his small town outside of Venice and make a new start in the radio flyer wagon United States. His family backed his plan, selling their mule to raise money for Antonio’s ticket. Here he hoped to work as a cabinetmaker, but at first he could only find unskilled work, beginning as a water boy for a crew of sewer diggers.
Antonio Pasin started building wooden toy wagons in Chicago in 1917, selling them to area shops. He was working as a craftsman at the time, mostly selling phonograph cabinets, and built small wooden wagons to carry around his tools. After he received razor ride ons numerous requests from customers of phonograph cabinets to buy the wagons as well, he refocused his business on the wagons. His business grew until the Liberty Coaster Company, named in honour of the Statue of Liberty, was formed in 1923.
As shown in this picture, the kids love to pull their siblings and cousins, but once the wagon gets loaded up it can get kind of heavy for the little guys. This is where the push handle and pull handle work in tandem, allowing two people to share the load. Whether you have an old wagon you’d like to restore or you’re in the market for one of these classic toys, razor ride onss have both sentimental and monetary value to kids of all ages. Take your time looking around to find the model that’s right for you. When Antonio Pasin came from Italy to the United States in 1914, he was only sixteen years old. Three years later, Antonio had saved enough money to open a small woodworking shop.
Now you can get a fold-up fabric wagon with a metal frame for $70, and models that are pushed like strollers or pulled like a wagon for $200 to $250. This is a collapsible cloth-covered wagon for kids in the classic red color, capable of functioning as a bench or vehicle for tired children and a wide array of toys. It can not only be folded flat for easy storage and transport, but also includes a removable canopy to block harmful UV rays. The Radio Flyer Town & Country wagon has an extra large body crafted of natural finished hardwood. This wagon features bright red removable sides of select wood and durable steel wheels with real rubber tires for a quiet ride. The Radio Flyer Town & Country wagon also has an extra long handle for easy pulling and the handle folds under for easy storage.