According to brickfanatics.de. A dispute began in 2023 when Bryan Mansell placed his and his 83-year-old father’s LEGO collection in a consignment agreement with a Bricks & Minifigs (BAM) store in Salem-Keizer, Oregon. The collection included over 780 sets and 1,200 minifigures, valued at around $200,000; Among the items was a sealed LEGO Star Wars 10123 Cloud City set, which regularly sells for over £10,000 on the secondhand market. Mansell stated the sale was intended to help younger family members with educational expenses.

Legal and Business Disputes

The consignment agreement reportedly stipulated that the store would retain 35% of the gross profit and make monthly payments to Mansell by the 15th of each month. According to E-Mails cited by the Salem Business Journal, the agreement was written and included an automatic termination date of January 31, 2025, requiring the return of unsold inventory. However, problems reportedly arose after the store’s owner, Chrystal Law-Gorman, left the business and lost access to the consignment records, according to brickfanatics.de.

Reckless Ben. A YouTube content creator. Became involved in the matter when he was contacted by Bryan Mansell — Mansell and his father had placed their collection, valued at more than $200,000, into a consignment arrangement with the store. When they tried to retrieve it. The store refused to return the items; According to 20Minutos, the store, Bricks & Minifigs, claimed that previous agreements were invalid because the store had changed ownership. This led to a legal battle. During which Reckless Ben accused the new owners of stealing the collection.

Escalation and Allegations

Reckless Ben’s investigation led him to Joshua Johnson and Brandon Best, the new owners of the store, and he discovered their ties to the Mormon Church. In his videos, he alleged that the store’s owners had police connections and were part of a supposed “Mormon mafia.” According to 20Minutos, Ben attempted to contact the owners for an “honest conversation” before pursuing legal action but was unsuccessful. He was later arrested in front of Johnson’s house for allegedly running a stop sign. During his investigation, he and his team were detained multiple times by the police, according to 20Minutos.

Media and Public Reaction

According to 404 Media, the controversy has exploded into a viral sensation on YouTube and in local Utah news. The dispute is described as “fucking crazy” and has become a major local news story in American Fork, Utah. The situation has been covered in numerous YouTube videos, some of which are hours long, along with police reports, body camera footage, cease and desist letters, and hostage-style video statements. Tech Dirt’s Mike Masnick noted that everyone involved in the LEGO dispute should have spoken to a lawyer earlier.

According to StoneWars, LEGO Pick a Brick is an official service that allows customers to purchase minifigures and other LEGO parts individually. This service is particularly useful for collectors building armies of knights, pirates, or Vikings, as it allows them to buy minifigures at a lower cost than many retailers. The service is updated regularly with new offerings, and the website provides a detailed guide on how to order individual parts for specific minifigures.