About Lone Star Trains & Collectibles

Lone Star Trains & Collectibles started in the early 1990's when Clay's father, Don, decided to sell off duplicates from his growing train collection one weekend in December. The sale went so well, they did it again. And again.

Soon, Clay was traveling to a train show somewhere in Texas and surrounding states almost every weekend. Clay's future wife Lisa then joined the road crew.

This train show business eventually grew so out of control that Clay and Lisa opened up a retail brick and mortar store in San Antonio. Don retired, and Clay and Lisa continued attending shows, running the retail operation and selling via mail order. “Lonestartrains” was one of the earliest sellers of trains on eBay.

After 12 years of retail, Clay and Lisa moved the entire operation—which had grown to include a 5,600 square foot store—to a mail order only business. Today, Lone Star Trains is located in East Texas and operates as a full time mail order business that sells direct mail order, as well as on eBay and Amazon.

As you can see, Clay and Lisa have a long history in the train and toy business, starting with weekend train shows, then running a retail brick and mortar for twelve years, and now selling largely online and by phone to customers old and new.

Clay and Lisa have been involved with the highly respected national organization the Train Collectors Association for many years. In fact, Clay served as a chapter president for a record 10 years before being elected the Secretary-Treasurer of the Lone Star Division.

Because of our extensive history in the field, we have a wide knowledge base that allows us to have interest in everything from Thomas the Tank Engine to a railroad key to an old wind up toy to a Lionel standard gauge engine to a DCC equipped prototypical engine.