By Sharon Oliver
Contributing Writer
REGION – Massachusetts has seen its fair share of colorful and most memorable characters over time, and leather craftsman Walter Dyer was certainly one of them. But Dyer drew national attention in 1980 when he decided to drop down $1,500 in $1 bills over the heads of Lynn residents like manna from heaven.
Money drop stunt
The leather manufacturer and owner of Walter Dyer Is Leather stores hired a plane to fly over Lynn’s Central Square during Christmas time because he knew many people needed the money. He said he liked helping people, it was his way of saying thank you to the community where his business was born, and he wanted to provide a little fun and excitement for them.
Unfortunately, the stunt did not go so well for the nearly 4,000 people who showed up for the event. They unavoidably watched in shock as the wind seemingly blew most of the money away, which likely fluttered out to sea. Many could recall on Facebook that unusual day and the man who tried to bring a little joy to local residents.
Maureen Hurley Phaneuf wrote:
“He certainly was a character! So recognizable with that suede coat and cowboy hat!”
Susan Bowes recalled:
“I was there. I remember that. Most of it went into the ocean.”
Laine Averback added:
“Certainly remember this! Shopped in his leather stores a lot! As he said, Walter Dyer IS leather!”
Some of the crowd let their disappointment be known with chants of, “Walter Dyer. Walter Liar.” Unbeknownst to most was the fact that Dyer, whose leather workshop employed 40 people at the time, was going through financial difficulties.
Dyer was adamant about the gimmick not being a publicity stunt since he went 10 years without advertising his store. He and the store were already well known. Dyer had retail outlets in Harvard Square, Rockport, Charles Street in Boston and a leather shop in Framingham. At one point, his factory was making up to 2,000 leather vests per year.
Unconventional businessman
His business came about after serving in the Army during World War II and then working in the shoe industry in Lynn. He opened a leather shop in the 1950s making shoes and moccasins before expanding into leather clothing. Eccentric to the core and a believer in his product, Dyer was his own salesman and model, and was nicknamed “The Liberace of Leathers.”
He often wore a Native American headdress while working in the window of his shop to draw attention to his line of Indian-style moccasins. He even wore mismatched moccasins to demonstrate his designs, drove around in a pink Cadillac and claimed to be Lynn’s first streaker. At six feet tall and 250 pounds, he was an imposing figure made all the more distinctive by often being clad head to toe in his leather creations.
Family members have said Dyer was an unconventional businessman who was more interested in introducing people to something new rather than making money. They have speculated he could have been a multimillionaire if he had gotten a handle on how much it cost to make his goods. Before the days of credit cards, he would sometimes send customers home with a coat without them having paid for it. He promised them it would change their lives and asked them to send the money once they got home. They usually did.
A recovering alcoholic who stopped drinking in 1955, Dyer became a member of Alcoholics Anonymous who often spoke at meetings and sponsored new members. He was known by many for his work with AA as he was for his leather and outrageous costumes.
Retirement and passing
Dyer retired one year after his well-intentioned stunt in 1980 after his workshop was destroyed in the Great Lynn Fire of 1981. Looking back, he said it was probably best the cash went into the ocean instead of into the hands of the crowd, opining in The Boston Globe, “If it (money) had landed in the square, there might have been a stampede and people might have gotten hurt. So, I can’t say I’m sorry it happened.”
Walter Dyer passed away at 84 in 2003. The last Walter Dyer Is Leather store, the Framingham location on Route 9 with its distinctive orange exterior, run by his son Bruce Dyer, closed in 2018 after 49 years in business.
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