Bricks & Minifigs
American retail franchise
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bricks & Minifigs (BAM) is an American retail franchisor focused on buying, selling, and trading new and used Lego products at over 300 franchised locations in the United States and Canada, offering retired Lego sets, loose bricks, minifigures, and related accessories.
Logo of Bricks and Minifigs | |
Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 2010 |
| Founder |
|
| Headquarters | Utah |
Number of locations | 300 (2025) |
Key people | Ammon McNeff (CEO) |
| Website | bricksandminifigs |
In 2026, they were involved in a controversy over a $200,000 Lego Star Wars collection, which was alleged to have been illegally seized by the company.
Business model
Bricks & Minifigs stores operate as specialty resale outlets for Lego products.[1][2] Inventory typically includes complete Lego sets, individual minifigures, loose bricks, instruction manuals, and replacement parts.[3][4] Bricks & Minifigs operates primarily through independently owned franchise locations.[5] In addition to retail sales, many locations host community events.[6]
History
The origins of Bricks & Minifigs date to 2003, when David Ortiz became involved in the market for used Lego products.[7] During the same period, John Masek was active in the Lego resale buisness.[8] The business was founded by Ortiz and Masek, and opened a store in Battle Ground, Washington, in 2010.[1] By 2011, the company was pursuing franchising.[1]
In 2018, Bricks & Minifigs was acquired by brothers Ammon McNeff and Matt McNeff, who had previously operated a franchise location in Utah.[9] In 2018, the company moved its headquarters to Utah.[10] At the time of the acquisition, the company reported 35 franchise locations.[11]
In 2025, trade and business publications reported that the chain had reached 300 stores, following accelerated expansion in the United States and Canada.[2][12] The current CEO of the company is Ammon McNeff,[13] who has served in his position since 2018.[14]
Keizer consignment dispute
In 2026, Oregon news outlets reported a dispute over a Lego Star Wars collection worth $200,000 consigned to the Bricks & Minifigs (BAM) franchise location in Keizer, Oregon.[15][16][17]
According to the Statesman Journal, the owner of the collection's son, Bryan Mansell, said the collection had been consigned in 2023 and that, after a change in franchise ownership in November 2024, the new operators refused to return unsold inventory or honor the consignment contract.[15] Former franchise operators and Mansell alleged corporate representatives were involved in the store transition. McNeff said BAM Franchising terminated the prior franchise and maintained that consignment agreements are not authorized under franchise rules.[16] In fact, the franchise agreement does allow consignment.[18] Bricks and Minifigs bragged on social media about the collection.[19] The former owner of the franchise in Keizer, Chrystal Gorman, claims her store was "illegally seized by corporate", was forced out of the store "under threat of police action" and received no prior notice or compensation.[18][20]
Schneider's claims
The dispute gained wider attention after 30-year-old Benjamin Paul Schneider,[21] known on YouTube as Reckless Ben, published investigation videos about the case[22] that depict Schneider and his team using parody, trickery, and provocative and novel strategies to bait Bricks & Minifigs into suing in court.[19] As part of his investigation, Schneider employed a series of publicity stunts, including organizing lottery-style raffles and creating mock rival businesses.[23] These videos include allegations that corporate personnel involved in terminating the franchise agreement had ties to the incoming operators; such allegations have not been adjudicated in court.[16][22]
Schneider shows that the current franchise owners initially offered to return the Lego sets to Mansell if he issued an apology, though they have reportedly not been returned. He subsequently sued the company,[19] though that specific franchisee store permanently closed soon after.[15] He also set up a GoFundMe to raise back the money lost by Mansell, which had raised over $100,000 as of May 31.[24][25][26] An internal email sent to Bricks & Minifigs franchises was leaked and subsequently read by Schneider.[27] The CEO McNeff appeared on a livestream interview on May 29.[28][29]
Police and court involvement
Schneider also claimed to be involved in legal troubles as a result of police corruption, including him and his team being swatted in Utah.[17][14] He further alleged that the American Fork Police Department harassed his team, searched his vehicles,[30] illegally redacted bodycam footage, and arrested and jailed them over many days[30] seemingly for starting the GoFundMe. He was formally charged with stalking and residential targeted picketing, as well as disorderly conduct and trespassing; he is scheduled to appear in court on June 8.[31] Further allegations claim he is now facing five years in prison, and Schneider claims to have fled to Mexico as a result.[14][31] The American Fork Police Department said there are no active warrants for Schneider in Utah and that they are not currently seeking him,[31] but the Fourth District Court has an open case where a search of an Airbnb where Schneider was staying failed to find stolen items.[21] Keizer Police confirmed an ongoing investigation reviewed by the Marion County District Attorney's Office, and civil litigation related to the dispute was reported as ongoing.[15][16] BAM Franchising stated it was not a party to the reported consignment agreement.[16] They have also released official statements regarding the situation.[32]
