I sell boomerangs. Many I have tested. Naturally, some end up in my throwing kit.
But, customers come first with me. I seldom hold back rangs for my throwing kit.
I was the first to do boomerang auctions. Mainly to see if boomerangs were collectible.
Several of my auctions confirmed that people do collect rangs. Today, Ted Bailey continues with his online auctions.
Recently, a fellow in New Orleans was going through his late father’s things.
He found a boomerang that his mother was going to junk along with other “stuff” his dad had collected.
Something about that rang made him curious. Was it special? Was the maker a legend, what?
After some online searching, he found his way to me.
One look at the photos he sent and I promptly replied with a basic history of the maker, stating that the boomerang should be worth not less than $100.
Over the past forty plus years, I’ve seen only three of that maker’s boomerangs that were typical of the rangs he sold to tourists who had watched him throw. His boomerangs were good, basic flyers, but not truly special.
Ben Ruhe (an avid expert boomerang enthusiast and boomerang book author) had invited the maker to attend one of the annual Smithsonian Associates Boomerang Workshops that Ben directed. The maker never attended any workshops nor responded to my offers to buy some of his boomerangs.
Click any image for full-size view.
I had never seen one by the maker decorated like this. On the backside, he inscribed the date he made the boomerang and listed his throwing feats and records.
There are some dings on the tips and elbow, typical of a thrown rang, otherwise it’s in excellent condition.
I offered the New Orleans man more than the $100 value I had stated.
A few days later he drove up from New Orleans and I purchased the BILLY BOOMERANG (John McMahon, the maker’s name).
The man from New Orleans was pleased that the boomerang was going to someone who would enjoy it and cherish it more so than someone who would try to profit from it.
I hope you’ll enjoy seeing the photos of this rare 1983 BILLY BOOMERANG.
No, it’s is not for sale. Yes, yours truly is now A COLLECTOR:)
But there’s more to this story and it goes back to 1977.
I began this business in 1975. I attended the In 1976 Smithsonian boomerang workshop contest to see if there was a market for boomerangs.
That first trip led to many more such trips.
I had an amazing time meeting many of the top names in boomerangs: Ben Ruhe (boomerang expert/contest director); Herb A. Smith, World Distance Record Holder (Sussex, England); Eric Darnell; Ben’s nephews, Peter and Larry Ruhe, Ned and Barnaby Ruhe; Al Gerhard; Giles Healy (Mayan archeologist); Carl Naylor (who became the first United States Boomerang Assoc. President) and many others who continued in boomerangs for many years.
I returned for the 1977 Smithsonian’s boomerang workshop.
Inspired by the amazing designs of Herb Smith, Al Gerhard crafted a beautiful strip lam, weighted hook boomerang.
Ben decided it would be the major award on contest day.
During a visit to the National Archives, Ben showed my wife and me the “On the Road with Charles Kuralt” TV clip of BILLY BOOMERANG throwing on the Texas gulf beach. Billy made several throws ending with a cascade of rangs, each returning for the catch. He used a light toss with returns aided by the gulf breeze.
Here are some clips found on YouTube:
Contest Day 1977 was extremely windy. I looked like I’d never thrown a rang before. Rather embarrassing for someone calling himself The Boomerang Man.
The final event was called SUICIDE. All throwers lined up (over 100), and on Ben’s command, everyone threw their boomerangs…
Sudden death. Miss your catch and you were out.
After several rounds, only Larry Ruhf and I remained.
I won’t go into the details except to say I remembered BILLY BOOMERANG’S throws, and I used his technique to win the Al Gerhard Hook (see it here).
Having acquired the special 1983 BILLY BOOMERANG brought back memories of the 1977 contest.
AL GERHARD was an American maker of the 1970s/80s. He specialized in making strip laminated boomerangs from black locust, oak, hickory and other beautiful woods.
This hook was inspired by the beautiful Sussex Hook Boomerang of Herb Smith. Al made it as an award for the Annual Smithsonian Associates Boomerang Workshop Lectures – A series of throwing events concluded lectures.
I won it during the final event of the day in a game called Suicide. Over 100 throwers lined-up shoulder to shoulder. You had to catch your own rang. Miss the catch and you were out.
After several throwing rounds, only two throwers remained, Larry Ruhf and me.
One of the legendary makers of all time was HERB A. SMITH of Sussex, England.
This small boomerang is called MT.FUJI. Herb’s version was inspired by the Japanese artist Hiroshige. It is made of paxolin (a thin, durable phenolic material). Herb was the first maker to employ paxolin. Today, many contest boomerangs are carved from similar non-wood materials.
Rod was an excellent air brush artist and boomerang maker. His boomerangs were almost too beautiful to throw. However, “boomerangs are meant to be used”.
Rod made six of these for my sales. This one was just “Too beautiful to be thrown.” I added this boomerang to my collection un-thrown.
