Independent retailer Bricks & Minifigs is at the centre of a legal dispute after allegedly failing to honour a consignment agreement for a $200,000 LEGO collection.
The dispute began in 2023, when Bryan Mansell consigned his and his 83-year-old father’s collection of LEGO Star Wars sets to a Bricks & Minifigs (BAM) store in Salem-Keizer, Oregon.
The collection reportedly included more than 780 sets and 1,200 minifigures, with the pair valuing it at around $200,000. Highlights allegedly included a sealed copy of LEGO Star Wars 10123 Cloud City, which regularly sells for more than £10,000 on the secondary market. According to Mansell, the intention behind selling the collection was to help fund college costs for younger family members.
A consignment agreement is an arrangement in which one party entrusts goods to another party to sell on their behalf in exchange for a share of the proceeds. In this case, Mansell alleges he entered into an agreement with former store owner Chrystal Law-Gorman under which the store would retain 35% of gross profits while Mansell would receive monthly payments by the 15th of each month.
The agreement allegedly also included an automatic termination date of January 31, 2025, requiring any unsold inventory to be returned before that deadline.
According to emails reportedly reviewed by the Salem Business Journal, the arrangement was documented in writing. However, Mansell and Law-Gorman allege problems began after Law-Gorman left the business and no longer had access to records relating to the consignment inventory.
Bricks & Minifigs operates as a franchise network of independently owned stores. Franchisees manage day-to-day operations and pricing while paying fees and royalties in exchange for access to the company’s branding, marketing, and operational support.
When new ownership took over the Salem-Keizer store in November 2024, the dispute escalated further. In a TikTok video posted on May 26, 2026, Law-Gorman alleged that the franchise had 'illegally seized' her business and removed her from the premises 'under threat of police action' without compensation.
BAM disputes those claims and alleges the Law-Gormans owed approximately $200,000 in unpaid obligations under their franchise agreement. Law-Gorman has since launched a GoFundMe campaign to support legal action against the company, including claims relating to breach of contract and defamation.
A separate dispute concerns the consignment agreement involving Mansell’s collection. On November 22, 2024, Mansell reportedly sent a formal notice of cancellation and termination to new store owners Brandon Best and Josh by email and mail.
Mansell cited two alleged breaches of the agreement: failure to make a November payment and refusal to allow him to inspect the remaining inventory.
According to Mansell, the notice demanded access to sales records dating back to April 1, 2024, payment of any outstanding proceeds, and the return of all remaining sets within 10 days.
Mansell alleges the new ownership claimed they had no knowledge of the arrangement. He also claims that, in written correspondence viewed by the Salem Business Journal, corporate representatives told him to pursue the matter with the previous owners instead.
Mansell disputes that position, arguing the collection remained part of the store’s assets and liabilities following the ownership transfer. Law-Gorman also alleges she informed the new ownership about the consignment agreement and provided security footage intended to support the existence of the arrangement.
Meanwhile, Ammon McNeff, chief operating officer of BAM, stated that consignment arrangements are prohibited under the company’s franchise guidelines and said the franchise could have faced termination had Corporate been aware of the arrangement.
However, Law-Gorman later shared documents on Reddit which she claims indicate consignment agreements were permitted under certain circumstances.
As the dispute continued, Mansell contacted Ben Schneider, better known online as ‘Reckless Ben’, whose YouTube channel is known for investigative-style documentaries focusing on scams, loopholes, and alleged fraud.
Schneider subsequently visited the store on multiple occasions while attempting to recover the collection or secure repayment on Mansell’s behalf. Several of the visits featured hidden-camera footage recorded using smart glasses.
Schneider also incorporated a business named ‘We Steal From Old People’ and used ‘Bricks & Minifigs’ in associated branding in what he described as an attempt to provoke legal action and force the dispute into court.
At one stage, Schneider alleged that store owner Josh offered to return the sets if Mansell issued a public apology. Mansell reportedly declined because he believed an apology could weaken potential legal claims relating to liability.
Schneider later sent a deepfake apology video depicting a fabricated version of Mansell apologising, allegedly to test whether the sets would be returned. According to Schneider, the collection was not returned.
Throughout the dispute, Schneider also claimed that representatives connected to the company attempted to have him arrested and allegedly travelled to a property in Utah connected to his investigation. Those allegations have not been independently verified.
Schneider later filed a claim in small claims court against parties connected to the dispute. According to Schneider, the defendants did not respond, resulting in a default judgment in his favour.
The Salem-Keizer store later closed without prior public notice. However, Mansell maintains that he still has not recovered the sets he believes belong to him. Legal disputes involving corporate entities and former franchise owners remain ongoing.
Schneider has since launched a GoFundMe campaign on Mansell’s behalf to help recover the alleged value of the collection and cover legal costs. At the time of writing, the fundraiser had raised just under half of its $28,000 goal.
Bricks & Minifigs denies any wrongdoing. In a statement published on its website, the company said it 'does not condone, tolerate, or participate in the exploitation of anyone, especially older adults or vulnerable members of our community'.
The company also maintains that corporate representatives neither signed nor authorised the consignment agreement and asked 'fans and creators to consider the human impact of the content they share'.
We have reached out to both parties involved in this story and are expecting comments shortly, so more will follow soon.
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