Our series Texas Excess celebrates the hobbyists and hoarders who crisscross the state—and sometimes the world—to add to their pet collections. With obsessions ranging from Santas to salt shakers, these Texans take collecting to the extreme. The collectionMore than 250 historic signs.Years in the makingThirty.Most expensive acquisitionA 1920s Buick sign from a museum in Minnesota. “I could have bought a brand-new Corvette for what that one cost.”Most difficult to restoreA 24-by-14-foot Coca-Cola sign that has towered over Abilene’s downtown since the 1940s. With 590 bulbs to rewire and damage from decades of exposure to the harsh West Texas weather, the restoration took seven months to complete. As the sun sets on Abilene, Robert Hoemke’s latest obsession is just coming to life. His 100-plus neon signs—favorites among his 250-strong…
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