Lone Star Auctioneers

What Lone Star Auctioneers does

Lone Star Auctioneers, Inc. is a privately held, woman-owned Texas corporation (incorporated 1984) operating a full-service auction firm headquartered in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. The company specializes in liquidating government surplus, seized and forfeited property, impounded vehicles, and unclaimed safe-deposit-box contents on behalf of federal agencies (U.S. Marshals Service, FBI, DEA, IRS), state agencies (Texas, California, Colorado, Alabama, Indiana, Montana, West Virginia, Tennessee, Iowa, Maine), municipalities (City of Fort Worth, City of Dallas, DART, Tarrant Regional Water District), educational institutions (SMU, UT Dallas, Tarrant County College, Dallas ISD, Fort Worth ISD), and licensed towing/vehicle storage firms. Since 1985 the firm has completed more than 4,000 auctions, sold in excess of $250 million in cumulative assets, and currently runs over 200 auctions per year.

The firm's core product is a 24/7 online auction platform (LSOauctions.com / LSA.cc) that has operated continuously since July 31, 2003, complemented by computerized on-site live auctions and a 'Hands-Free' full-service offering in which LSA staff handles listing, photography, marketing, and reconciliation. Technical capabilities include simultaneous multi-ring auction execution (three rings) to satisfy large state contracts, computerized reconciliation delivered immediately at auction close, and a 'sell where located' model that avoids central staging. Distribution runs almost entirely through five national cooperative purchasing contracts — OMNIA Partners, BuyBoard, TIPS, PCA, and Choice Partners — which let government and education buyers procure the firm's services without issuing individual RFPs. Marketing is direct-sales-led, executed by contract managers and supported by email newsletter, Facebook, and seller-tips content.

The business model is transaction-based: Lone Star charges a 3% buyer's premium on all purchases (with a 3% discount for cash-equivalent payment) and earns seller-side commissions on consigned assets. The firm holds HUB, SBE, and WBE certifications that materially advantage it in government procurement scoring, and ownership is concentrated with CEO/President Marilyn K. Burgess and COO Ed Lanford Jr., supported by Vice President Bill Burgess.

Name

Lone Star Auctioneers

Legal name

Lone Star Auctioneers, Inc.

Website

https://lonestarauctioneers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lone Star Auctioneers is a Texas-based, woman-owned auction firm that liquidates government surplus, seized and forfeited property, impounded vehicles, and unclaimed assets for federal, state, and local agencies, educational institutions, and towing companies via a 24/7 online platform and live auctions distributed through national cooperative purchasing contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Auction Services

NAICS

Used Merchandise Retailers (459510)

SIC

Wholesale-Misc Durable Goods (5090)

akta.pro primary industry

Government & Tax-Lien/Tax-Deed Property Auctions (BPAJAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wholesale Vehicle Auctions (Physical & Online) (TLABAKAA), Auction Houses (Luxury Watches & Jewelry) (CRAKAKAF), Auction-based Generalist Marketplaces (CRAFAAAC)

Keywords

• Government surplus auctions
• Online auction services
• Unclaimed property auctions
• Vehicle impound auctions
• Live auction services

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Worth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Auction Transaction Fees: Lone Star Auctioneers charges a buyer's premium on all purchases. The company also earns revenue through commissions from the sale of assets on behalf of government agencies, financial institutions, and businesses. All items are sold 'As Is, Where Is' with no warranty.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Lone Star Auctioneers is a full-service auction house conducting online and on-site auctions on behalf of government agencies, educational institutions, towing companies, and financial institutions. The firm operates a 24/7 online auction platform (LSOauctions.com) running continuously since July 31, 2003, where sellers list surplus, seized, impounded, and unclaimed property for competitive bidding. Services include a 'Hands-Free' full-service model, on-site live auctions with computerized reconciliation, and sales of vehicles, heavy equipment, jewelry, fine art, antiques, and unclaimed safe deposit box contents.

Product overview

Lone Star Auctioneers operates as a full-service auction firm offering two primary auction delivery methods: (1) LSOauctions.com, their 24/7 Online Auctions platform—a continuous online auction marketplace running since July 31, 2003 where government agencies, universities, schools, and businesses list surplus, impounded, seized, and unclaimed property; and (2) Live On-Site Auction Services conducted by their principal auctioneers with full computerized documentation. The company also offers a 'Hands-Free' full-service online auction model where their staff manages most operational aspects for sellers. The platform facilitates sales of diverse asset categories including vehicles, heavy equipment, jewelry, electronics, furniture, and unclaimed safe deposit box contents, with items selling at their current location without requiring centralization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LSOauctions.com (24/7 Online Auctions)
• Live On-Site Auction Services
• Hands-Free Online Auction Services
• Government Auction Services
• Unclaimed Property Auction Services
• Vehicle Impound Auction Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 4,000 successful auctions completed since 1985
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PCA - Purchasing Cooperative of AmericacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 11 September 2024PCA is administered by an agency of the State of Texas. Contract OD-411-24 for Online Auction Services runs September 11, 2024 through September 10, 2025. PCA contracts are EDGA compliant and written to standards of federal (FAR and D-FAR), various state and local government agencies.
• BuyBoardcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 15 July 2024BuyBoard provides cooperative purchasing power combining leverage for local governments to achieve better pricing. Contract #620-20 renewed nationwide multi-year online auction services contract. Government agencies, educational institutions, nonprofits and quasi-governmental entities may use this contract without issuing bids or RFPs.
• TIPS - The Interlocal Purchasing SystemcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 13 October 2022TIPS (Region 8 Education Service Center as lead agency) awarded nationwide multi-year cooperative online auction services contract. Auctioneer Services Contract #250801, End Date: Oct 31, 2028. Any government agency, educational institution, nonprofit or quasi-governmental entity may use this contract.
• Choice PartnersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 18 December 2020Auctioneer Services Contract #20/015KC-03, Contract Terms 12/18/20-12/17/23. Covers online auction services for all Choice Partners members nationally. Contract managed by Monique Joseph at Choice Partners.
• Region 8 ESC (TIPS Lead Agency)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 20 June 2017Region 8 Education Service Center serves as the lead public agency for TIPS cooperative purchasing system. Located at 4845 US Highway 271 North, Pittsburg, TX 75686. Has administrative and legal capacity to administer purchases on behalf of participating entities.
• OMNIA Partners (formerly National IPA / TCPN)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOMNIA Partners is a premier purchasing organization for state and local government, K-12 education, colleges and universities. Lone Star holds Contract #R240603 (End Date: Dec 31, 2027) and Contract #R190603 (End Date: Jan 31, 2025) for online auctioneer services for all OMNIA Partners members nationally. All contracts have been competitively solicited and publicly awarded.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• GovDeals: GovDeals is the largest online auction platform dedicated to government surplus, seized, and foreclosed assets, serving federal, state, and local agencies across the U.S. It directly competes with LSA for the same online government auction buyer pool and seller contracts.
• HiBid: HiBid is an online auction platform serving auctioneers and bidders across collectibles, equipment, and government-related assets. Comparable technology layer to LSA's 24/7 online auction platform for asset categories including vehicles and miscellaneous surplus.
• PropertyRoom.com: PropertyRoom.com runs an online auction marketplace for law enforcement seized/forfeited property and government surplus assets, with a similar 'Hands-Free' seller model. It competes head-to-head for the same federal/state agency contracts LSA services, including unclaimed property.
• Public Surplus: PublicSurplus operates an online auction marketplace exclusively for government agencies and educational institutions to sell surplus assets — directly comparable offering, customer base, and 24/7 online auction model to LSA's LSOauctions platform.
• Bid4Assets: Bid4Assets is an online auction platform specializing in tax liens, tax deeds, seized assets, and government-distressed property auctions nationwide — directly comparable to LSA's government seized-asset and unclaimed property auction services.
• Proxibid: Proxibid operates a large online auction marketplace aggregating live and timed auctions across heavy equipment, vehicles, and government surplus. It competes with LSA's online auction platform for similar asset categories and bidder audiences.

Broad incumbents

• IAA (Insurance Auto Auctions): IAA (a Copart subsidiary) operates the largest U.S. vehicle auction network for salvage and total-loss vehicles. While primarily insurance-focused, it competes for any large-scale vehicle remarketing pipeline that includes government and fleet disposals overlapping with LSA.
• Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers: Ritchie Bros. is a global heavy equipment and asset auction leader operating online and live auctions — comparable to LSA's state of Texas heavy equipment and government surplus equipment auctions, though at vastly larger scale.
• Copart: Copart is the largest U.S. wholesale vehicle auction platform, serving insurance, dealer, and salvage-vehicle volumes — much larger scale but overlapping with LSA's police-impound and government fleet vehicle auction services.
• Heritage Auctions: Heritage Auctions is one of the world's largest auction houses for coins, jewelry, fine art, and collectibles — closely comparable to LSA's U.S. Marshals national jewelry/coin/collectibles contract but at significantly broader scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/LoneStarAuctioneers
• Xx.com/lsaauctions
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lone-star-auctioneers-inc

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lone Star Auctioneers