Little Red Wagon

Hi everyone! Today I have a cute photo from my childhood of my sister, Kerry, and me, playing with a very classic toy - the little red wagon. I'm sure many of you had one growing up. And you may even have had a little sister who wanted to follow you everywhere!

Well, toy wagons have been around since the 1800s but its the story of Antonio Pasin and the first "Radio Flyer Wagon" that I want to share with you. Born in Venice, Italy, Pasin came to New York City in 1913 and made his way doing odd jobs. Then in 1917, he crafted his first toy wagon, naming it Liberty Coaster, after being inspired by the Statue of Liberty. Wanting to craft more wagons, he started a small factory west of Chicago. It wasn't long before his business took off, receiving an order for 7,000 wagons.

Now Pasin never had a wagon growing up so he decided in 1927, that he would make a wagon affordable for every child. Using mass production techniques, Pasin created the first "Radio Flyer" wagon, the name having been inspired by his amazement of the radio and the wonders of flight. The following excerpt from Wikipedia tells the rest:

"He renamed his company the Radio Steel and Manufacturing Company in 1930. His company became the largest producer of toy wagons producing 1500 wagons a day despite the Great Depression. In 1933 the World Fair was coming to Chicago and Antonio had a bold idea...he risked major debt [despite the depression] and decided to build a 45 foot statue of a boy riding a wagon. Under the wagon there was a shop that sold miniature wagons for 25 cents. After that the company captured the country's attention and the modern Radio Flyer was born.

Amazing, huh?! I hope you enjoyed this little bit of trivia. I became curious about the little red wagon's history because I recently listed a vintage item in my shop, Digital Scraps Etc, featuring the little red wagon. This item is a neat novelty barware set that comes with 4 cute little red plastic wagons, each with enough room to hold a drink and a small snack. Click on this link for more details and photos: On the Wagon.

You never know what you're going to find when you go out treasure hunting! I wish you all well and good luck in your treasure hunts!

Kelley

PS. Check out my auctions on eBay - Kelley's Odds & Ends for some more cool vintage stuff!