unique vintage american industrial c. 1940's heavy gauge steel wire mobile shopping cart or "buggy." the machine age cart contains an unusual coiled handle flanked at either end by bent steel brackets supporting the swinging panel used to "nesting" (i.e. storage) purposes. the basket is slightly angled with folded steel bumper or rail guard affixed at the front. the streamlined style undershelf with stepped wire design provides added storage space. the stationary and swivel casters are original, but slightly damaged from excessive wear and tear. the shopping cart is attributed to the union steel products co., albion, mi. one of the first shopping carts was introduced on june 4, 1937, the invention of sylvan goldman, owner of the piggly wiggly supermarket chain in oklahoma city (another shopping-cart innovator was orla watson). one night, in 1936, goldman sat in his office wondering how customers might move more groceries. he found a wooden folding chair and put a basket on the seat and wheels on the legs. goldman and one of his employees, fred young, a mechanic, began tinkering. their first shopping cart was a metal frame that held two wire baskets. since they were inspired by the folding chair, goldman called his carts "folding basket carriers". another mechanic, arthur kosted, developed a method to mass produce the carts by inventing an assembly line capable of forming and welding the wire. the cart was awarded patent number 2,196,914 on april 9, 1940 (filing date: march 14, 1938), titled, "folding basket carriage for self-service stores". they advertised the invention as part of a new no basket carrying plan." the invention did not catch on immediately. men found them effeminate; women found them suggestive of a baby carriage. "i've pushed my last baby buggy," an offended woman informed goldman. after hiring several male and female models to push his new invention around his store and demonstrate their utility, as well as greeters to explain their use, shopping carts became extremely popular and goldman became a multimillionaire. goldman continued to make modifications to his original design, and the basket size of the shopping cart increased as stores realized that their customers purchased more as its size increased. measures 28 x 18 x 38 inches.