Item PJ8
This Item was Sold on 6 August
2013 for $150
Other collectable boomerangs for sale can be found on the
Collectable Boomerangs link.
Historical Pricing information for this item and similar collectable boomerangs can be found on the Boomerang Pricing Guide
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John McMahon sold a lot of traditional boomerangs to the tourists on South Padre Island in the 1970s. The majority of these were thrown until they were broken or lost and few survive today. These boomerangs were made out of Mahogany plywood and they had John's signature airfoiling with strongly beveled trailing edges. Many of these boomerangs also had stickers on the elbow with a religious message. This traditional boomerang is one of those McMahon boomerangs and it is in mint condition. John sent about a dozen traditional boomerangs to Michael Hanson in Scotland for marketing to European throwers. This boomerang was acquired by Max Hoeben in Holland and it was kept as a collectible. It looks like it was never thrown. This is a rare collectible boomerang made by one of America's most famous boomerang manufacturers and throwers.
A man named John Kenneth McMahon from Sodus Point, New York joined the Coast Guard in August, 1956; and when he was discharged in August, 1960 he remembered some of the good times and the good weather he experienced in and around Corpus Christi and Brownsville, Texas. He moved to Port Isabel, Texas and became self-employed making and selling shark tooth necklaces and gemstone jewelry. He was a self taught shark fisherman, mostly fishing from the beach. He became interested in boomerangs very soon after 1960 and whittled several models. He developed his own skill at throwing and became very adept. One particular skill was to throw a right handed and left handed boomerang at the same time and make the dual catch. His artistic skills spilled over onto his boomerangs and he had models named after the planets which were another of his interests. As the need for money arose, Boomerang Billy as he was by now affectionately called by the residents of Port Isabel and South Padre Island, would make the "plain vanilla" 'rangs and sell them at the beach after his impromptu demonstrations. The frequency of the demonstrations was in direct proportion to his need for money. Many of Billy's good friends were given some of his "planet" decorated boomerangs; but they are hard to find and even harder to dislodge from their owners. One 'rang in particular is the a proud possession of Gloria Bates who runs Seagull Imports in Port Isabel. It is labeled "Original Mars Model", 4-ply, made on November 16th, 1982. Holder of the World Record for most consecutive throws and catches; 385, November 24th, 1982." A more impressive and larger decorated model with planets and fishes is displayed at the Fisherman's Inn in Port Isabel, where Billy spent the majority of his evenings. Billy began having health problems in November, 1984 and was hospitalized at the Audie Murphy Memorial Hospital in January, 1985. During this time, a few of his loyal friends looked after him; but it was in vain and Billy died from Cancer on February 19th, 1985. He was buried at the Sam Houston Memorial cemetery in San Antonio. |
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