It seems like everybody’s collecting something nowadays and these Weird Homes Tour Homeowners take it to a whole new level. Check it out these crazy collections from the tour!
The Hippolotofus Home – Houston
Can you say that three times fast? We dare you, but beware! Everytime you say it a hippo will appear! Welcome to the home of Sue. Sue’s amazing collection of hippo objects and hippo memorabilia has been collected over the last 45 years. Sue is also a member of the Hippolotofus Society. That’s a worldwide group of folks who collect, trade and talk hippo objects and memorabilia and have annual conventions all across North America.
Want to count how many she has? We will give you a hint…her crazy collection has over 2,000!
Home of the Mysterious Planchette – Austin
In the 19th century, Victorian-era Spiritualists believed they had breached the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead, and invented a diverse array of devices to assist them in their macabre communications with spirits. You may be surprised to learn the world’s prevailing occult archeologist and obsessed collector of these spirit communication artifacts lives right here in Austin.
During the day Brandon Hodge owns and operates two popular shops on SoCo—Big Top Candy Shop and Monkey See, Monkey Do!—but at night immerses himself in the bizarre world of tipping tables, séances, and ghostly encounters. This historian’s home his filled with an expansive collection of automatic writing planchettes, Ouija, séance relics, and a host of other occult antiquities. Before you come, be sure to check out his Instagram and his website for extensive background on many of the items in his collection as well as an excellent primer on early history of the Spiritualist movement.
Third Street Secret Museum – New Orleans
Erika and Robert Gates aren’t artists, but they sure are handy. Take a trip to the Third Street Secret Museum to see their collection of collections acquired over the 10 years since they met in Austin, TX.
Often referred to as The Museum, Erika and Robert experiment in displaying their collection of memorabilia and vintage furnishings. From an authentic Indiana Jones costume to lovingly curated ink pen collection, there’s a little bit of everything in this eclectic home.
Their raised craftsman shotgun double is book ended with phone booths and layered in all things vintage from 1920s medical cabinets to mid-century kitsch. At the Third Street Secret Museum home there’s a story behind all of their crazy collections.
The Collectors – Austin
If you thought that the owners of Austin’s iconic vintage store (and one of our favorite’s to visit!) Uncommon Objects would have a weird home then you would be 100% right. Their house in Travis Heights is a collection of collections.
As you enter you are greeted by a wall of 30 years of handmade Christmas ornaments that are the product of a long-standing party the owners have with their friends to create new ornaments.
From there, you off to explore a treasure trove of hidden gems both large and small. These include crazy collections of seeds, baseballs, cowboy boots, dice, art and who-knows-what-else. Every cabinet, and every shelf, is filled with jewels waiting to be discovered, each one with it’s own story.
The Lester Marks Collection – Houston
Let’s get this out of the way first. Lester Marks is one of the most renowned, respected, and charitable art collectors of contemporary art in the city of Houston. He’s been recognized as one of the top 100 art collectors in the United States and among the “Top 100 Art Collectors Making a Difference in the Art World” by Arts & Antiques Magazine. He’s also one of the top 200 art collectors in the world by ARTnews Magazine.
However Lester’s home holds some secrets. Secrets that are wild, whimsical and weird. And he will be opening his home and his private art collection for the Houston Weird Homes Tour this year. Take it from Lester himself “Art collecting, to me, has never been about putting ‘trophies’ on the wall. My art collecting, has been, and is, simply a journey to help unlock the mysteries of life. Art serves as a catalyst to help me see and perceive the beauty and wonder of the everyday world around us. To me, art IS life; difficult, demanding, mysterious, and awe-inspiring.”
When you see his VERY popular Instagram account you will understand!
