Of course, baskets and car seats are available accessories, but a rear cargo rack is standard. “My niece a few years ago was diagnosed with brain cancer and she spent eight months in children’s hospital and she would sleep in the Radio Flyer wagon – she preferred to sleep in that,” Garone said. “It just made those moments when she knew she was going into more chemo, going from her bed to the treatment room… it transformed it and allowed her just to be a kid with something familiar and loved.”
The June 24, 2013 episode of Let’s Make a Deal parodied this wagon as a Zonk being offered under the name “Zonk Flyer”. Radio Flyer said that as part of its anniversary celebrations, it will donate 2,000 wagons to children’s hospitals across the country in partnership with Starlight Children’s Foundation. He wanted to know about their needs, wants and habits, how kids played, how parents transported their families. He hired market research firms and dispatched product designers to go out into the field — zoos, ballparks, playgrounds — and observe. From the reverence with which Pasin talks about Radio Flyer’s history, you get the sense that he sees himself as the steward of the little red wagon’s legacy. The Radio Flyer corporate headquarters sits on the Northwest edge of Chicago, about a half hour’s drive from downtown, as it has for the past century.
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 razor ride ons 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.
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, Radio Flyer wagons 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.
In January 2021, Evancho was hospitalized following a car accident that left her back broken in two places, and was soon diagnosed with osteoporosis. Built in 1990, 26 tons of steel and reinforced concrete, 12-foot-high, 27-foot-long Radio Flyer Wagon. Spiering spent six to seven days a week for a year building the $36,000 sculpture, for which he received a $30,000 commission. Families fled en masse to the suburbs, where they boomed out babies who needed to be carted around their subdivisions or glide under their own power on the tricycles and scooters Radio Steel began to produce. The Tesla toys, both Flintstones-type “foot to floor” and electric powered, were introduced six years ago and have been good performers. “The CyberQuad—a version of Tesla’s Cybertruck—sold out in 24 hours,” Pasin said.
Each of them has the ability to handle more cargo because the bodies have higher sides so you can stack more cargo inside. During the redesign process, the team made use of Radio Flyer’s prototype shop where they were able to experiment with sewing, metal fabrication, welding, and 3-D printing. They deployed various wagon prototypes at the Advocate Children’s Hospital radio flyer wagon in Park Ridge, Illinois, to gather feedback on the new features and ideas for tweaks. 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 . In 2016, Radio Flyer introduced a new partnership product, the Tesla Model S for Kids.
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.
A lot of these wagons were used hard by the kids who loved them. Since they were often made of steel, rust is a major issue. It’s uncommon to find a very old wagon in pristine condition. Unlike many other antiques, this is a rare instance when restoration can increase the value. Highway Chief – This model had high green wood sides with slats, making it great for kids who wanted to haul a lot of stuff.
Three-in-one plastic wagons quickly and easily convert from two-passenger face-to-face seating to fold-down bench seating to cargo mode. The new Hero Wagon features a medical-grade, easy-to-disinfect fabric exterior, instead of the classic, but bulky, metal frame. The design is foldable, allowing hospital staff to collapse the wagon for storage and keep more on site. The Radio Flyer team added an IV bracket and clamp on the back so that a nurse or family member can pull the wagon without also needing to hang on to equipment poles or monitors.
They have all steel bodies with rolled edge rails and are coated with materials that won’t scratch. The classic Radio Flyer wagon has 10-inch steel wheels and durable solid rubber tires. The easy-swivel handle turns the front wheels and tucks underneath the wagon out of sight when not in use.