It's not a wagon if it's not a Radio Flyer.

So sayeth Sue... and many others.

Certain toys have longevity and are known worldwide... and today, I saw one of them in action that doesn't get a lot of thought from the masses... and that's a good ol' Radio Flyer wagon.

I was standing outside waiting for a friend when a young lad and his mum walked by... him pulling a Radio Flyer wagon with the family groceries inside... and I got to thinking about how this scene has played out time and time again... all over North America... and remembered how I would haul cargo for my mom with my wagon too.

Antonio Pasin, recently come to America from Italy, started building toy wagons in 1917... by 1923, demand for his wagons made him set up the Liberty Coaster Company (named after the Statue of Liberty,) which mass-produced the No. 4 Liberty Coaster and set a tone for years to come...

In 1930, he renamed his company Radio Steel & Manufacturing and started making "The Radio Flyer"... based on Antonio's interest in the inventions and progressions in radio broadcasting and flight...

In a lesson of "Why Mess With Success?", Radio Flyers are still being produced by the original company and still sold all over the world... in fact, their website features a rather cool History and Heritage section!

A true original toy that, like so few others, has longevity! (Almost a century of it... and call it a hunch, Radio Flyers WILL celebrate their centennial!)

Radio Flyer - Company Website
MonkeyShine News - Radio Flyer History
Wiki Entry