Not so little red wagon:
The money was raised by selling the old newspapers to a recycling company. Although I don’t think the word recycling was yet in use.
There was a regular event known as a “paper sale”. My elementary school ran one a couple times a year, with a big bin for each classroom. All the kids brought in as many papers as they could collect over the weekend, and the class with the biggest bin-full won a prize. Like your neighbor (the old rich guy with the Wall St. Journal), many families saved all their old newspapers in big piles in the garage, to be taken to the paper sale a couple times a year.
That’s delightful! I love repurposing interesting old items into unique furniture. For decades my parents had a genuine accordion bellows, fully functional, that they used as a coffee table. The two holes for the air to come in served as insets for candy dishes; it was quite charming.
Aye they be pulling something here.
I’ve ridden in this one:
You should have painted it blue. 
that is brilliant. i use my grandfather’s steamer trunk as a coffee table.
Radio Flyer red wagons are still on the market, quite a few places.
When my wife was reviewing toys, she got one for free (and a mini version) We still have it and it is still useful. It is sitting in the backyard now filled with a bag of compost for some of our garden.
THIS is the one true Little Red Wagon! Accept no substitutes. And boy does it haul!
If I get it back I want to build a low rider wagon.