Perhaps you've heard of Lonnie. He has run for various public offices in Nevada. He is a world class brain surgeon. And he collects junk...casino junk. You can drive down the street and see some very strange objects sticking out from his back yard. He has so much junk, he bought the house next door to continue his project.

Today, he had a yard sale. I went to his house to check out some of his "stuff". About a third of the backyard area was available for viewing, one main patio was open, and none of the interior was open. I was amazed that there are railroad tracks built into the grounds. There are mine tracks all over the place. None of the trains or cars could actually move because there is so much junk all over the place. I peeked into some windows and saw some continued strange and cluttered areas.

I managed to click off a few camera shots. They really don't do justice to what my eyes saw. Also it was so cluttered that I couldn't back up enough to get a good shot of some subjects. I took about 100 pics, so when I built a website for them, I shrank them down more than usual. Click on any thumbnail to get a real size pic and navigation links. There are some interesting subjects in these shots if you look close enough. See http://www.corvettefun.com/lonnie/index.htm

So....what did you buy at this yard sale?
To me he looks like the neighbor from Hell. One can only wonder what his neighbors think of "his Collection".
Thanks for sharing your pictures!

I read that he was selling off stuff to make room for one of the coasters from the Strat .. do you think he'll offer rides to the public?

The Yard Sale took place last year too. I think it might happen every year. The showgils that greeten me at the front door were handing out flyers and cards promoting Hammargren for Lt. Governor. Lonnie was at the front door too presing the flesh, posing for pics, and kissing babys, while wearing a "Hammargren for Lt Governor" shirt and hat.

There are a few shots in an outdoor covered patio. A lot of the items for sale, came from this area. There was a big Ice cream cooler, beverage coolers, soda fountains, and a big stainless steel food prep table. Outside, there were several old posters, flyers, and banners. There were some old black and white photos and a few paintings. There were some slot machine face plates and an old Hacienda change cart. There were many old Lonnie Hammargren campaign items. All of this was old and had been sitting outside for years. Then there was some some womens stuff such as purses, shoes, and clothers.

It didn't appear that he was clearing out anything to make room for another big item, but you never know what he's thinking. I would guess that he has been looking over the Stardust for some worn out junk. Nothing outside appeared to be operational. Interesting, yes, but I wouldn't want to ride anything there. I wouldn't even want to walk up to the higher balconies.

Lee, that house does attract a lot of strangers wanting to take a look. Surely there are cranes and construction vehicles out there from time to time. So yes, it's probably an undesireable neighbor. BTW, there are some very nice homes in that area. OTOH, it could be much worse. It's not a crack house, there aren't teenagers coming and going at all hours of the night, I doubt if there's loud music playing, it isn't packed with 8 families, and there aren't junk cars sitting in the street. Plus, you would have a doctor living near by. Sure, it's a bad neighbor, but not the worst thing that could happen.

Wow - that's amazing! Thanks for posting those photos, JMT.

This guy could open up this place as a museum!

What's the address of his house? I'd love to drive by on my next trip.

Good question Mike. I don't know. If you take Flamingo out east like you are going to Sams Town, turn right on Sandhill. After about a quarter of a mile start looking to your right to see his back yard. Go ahead and drive past it becaue the best view is from Sandhill. Then turn around and come back the other way to see the backyard again. You can turn into the neighborhood on your second pass to get to the front of the house. There isn't nearly as much to see in the front. Also be careful driving, because there is a tendency to slow down and become distracted. There is a shopping center at Flamingo and Sandhill that you can park in and walk down Sandhill on the sidewalks to get a good look at the backyard and take pics.

I just looked it up on google maps, then switched to a satellite view and zoomed in. It looks like a disaster area...which is pretty much what his neighbors must think. It's at the southwest corner of Rosecrest Circle and S. Sandhill Road.

This would be called a zoning violation in Columbus!

This wouldn't fly in my neighborhood either.
But it still is interesting, all the stuff he has collected.

The homeowners associations have a really bad reputation in this town. I think living in Lonnie's neighborhood would be the lesser of those two evils.

That is the most fascinating and horrifying thing i have seen. I once saw a link to a website about his collection - your pictures are much, much better JMT.

Okay - so he has neighbors. Does he have a wife?

I would not want to be in that yard after dark. Creepy!
I bet there's some museum curator who would love to get his/her hands on the stuff someday. But it is such a mix of interesting stuff (the Vegas pieces) and crap (the stuffed animals)

Wow. Thanks JMT

And Did you get anything?

No, I didn't buy anything.


You oughta see the 7 megapixel shots. I see new stuff in them everytime I look at them. You can even see the submarine (from the show Sea Hunt) in one of his pools.

Thanks for the directions, JMT - I'll add this to my "to do" list!

Norm's column in the Review Journal gave his address as 4300 Ridgecrest Drive; there was also a brief article Sunday that said it was a "half-century spring cleaning sale" because he recently retired from neurosurgery and had time to sort through his collection ..... and discovered he had too much stuff<g>.

I don't remember where I read the part about the Strat's coaster, but I noted the address because I also thought it might be an interesting drive-by.

I"m going to put this on my to do list for next trip too! I'd love to see it! My hubby thinks I'm a pack rat, but I don't hold a candle to this guy!

Lonnie is having an open house today for US veterans and their families.