Whether visitors left with a tiny wagon or not, they undoubtedly saw the impressive structure, and so couldn’t have left without some knowledge of the Radio Flyer. Fast forward to the 1950s, when Sputnik and “I Love Lucy” came on the scene. It was during this time, when fear of communism loomed, that the little red wagon cemented its status as an American icon. “Sooner or later you’ll have to buy the kids a big red coaster wagon. (This probably is a factor in their growing up to be 100% pure red-blooded American),” reads a 1953 ad in the Logansport Pharos-Tribune.
For a promotional celebration, the company produced what it billed as the ‘World’s Largest Wagon,’ a 27-foot-long, 15,000-pound behemoth that then visited cities across the United States. The company followed radio flyer wagon the Quad Shock with a Radio Flyer Sport Utility Wagon, capitalizing on the popularity of the Sport Utility Vehicle among suburban families. Radio Flyer also entered licensing agreements with other toymakers.
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 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.
It’s super easy to fold up and can fit in tight spaces which is great when you’re headed to the park or on a road trip and this lightweight wagon makes it easy to transport and carry around from place to place. On any given day children and adults alike enjoy the slide. The Radio Flyer brand just celebrated its 100th birthday and the company commissioned a larger wagon that sits in downtown Chicago. The Spokane wagon has been voted by USA Today as the top roadside attraction in Washington.
In the 1990s, Radio Flyer worked to expand its product line and step up its marketing to maintain its market share. It used the Radio Flyer name on toy bicycles, such as the Totally Rad Flyer Bicycle. Its name received wide press in 1992 with the release of a movie called ‘Radio Flyer,’ the story of the imaginary journeys of two boys in their Radio Flyer wagon. Already by the year 1930, Radio Steel was the world’s largest producer of children’s coaster wagons, and it set the standard for what a wagon should look like.
You may wish to review the privacy policy of the external site as its information collection practices may differ from ours. Linking to this external site does not constitute an endorsement of the site or the information it contains by CPSC or any of its employees. Components of the recalled promotional ducks contain levels of certain phthalates that exceed the federal phthalate content standard.
This example had peeling paint, rust, and a partially missing decal on the side. A Streak-O-Light wagon from the 1930s in very rough condition is still worth $100 to $125. Give today to help deliver the Hero Wagon to seriously ill kids across the country. A Hero Wagon can truly make a difference in a child’s day when they are spending days on end inside a hospital room.
Emand for Liberty Coasters was so high that Pasin abandoned his cabinetmaking ambitions to focus solely on the wagons. By 1923, he had begun working with steel instead of wood and painting the metal wagons bright red. razor ride ons The electric bikes, sold under the Flyer name, have only been around since last year, and they reinforce the family orientation. There are two models, both very retro styled, offering pedal assist and a throttle.
When the United States entered World War II, many industries converted to making wartime products. Radio Steel halted its production of wagons to manufacture so-called blitz cans. These were five-gallon containers used for either fuel or water, mounted on tanks, trucks, and jeeps.
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.