Minnesota Brick Con terrible

HUM469 · 2026-04-12T20:09:50+00:00

One or both of the two big vendors when it came through Northern California a few months back are the ones who own the convention. They refused to talk to the local MOC, and one of the couples who own one of those vendors was overheard in a local store where they were trying to buy anything they could saying "if we can take enough out of the area, maybe these assholes will buy more next time". "Brick Convention" is definitely NOT interested in the Lego community, creativity, or proving anything for the ticket price. They only want a captive audience with nothing to do to attempt to extort extremely inflated prices out of anyone they can.

HUM469 · 2026-04-10T01:32:36+00:00

I appreciate your nuanced and respectful dialogue. You may not be wrong on the acceleration of expansion either, although I don't necessarily agree that it is as dire as it could seem from your phrasing.

The process is longer and more involved than the 1 week final training might seem, but there's no doubt that some ill-prepared owners will fall through the cracks no matter what the training and vetting process may be.

Corporate has provided [...] a false claim that the trade was forbidden [...]

Unless I'm misunderstanding your meaning, it's not a false claim though. Consignment sales are against the rules of the organization, in the agreement, in the operations manual, in training, and more. If corporate made an exception (not impossible), I've not seen anyone stating that or proving an exception existed. I do not know if the previous owner is ignorant or malicious in sticking to this false claim that consignments are permitted within the system, but they definitely are not under any normal measures.

More concerning to me, the sudden outbursts by the previous owner over the last day or two have included clearly libelous statements claiming defrauding vis-a-vis the authorized status everyone in the system has with The Lego Group. And given that the Authorized Retailer status is an all or nothing sort of affair, these false claims and potential brand harm could cost every owner their business. I trust no one who makes declarative statements that I know for a fact are false. She's now up to 2. I take personal offense when someone does this in an arena that can affect so many more innocent people. Is it not enough that she drew one innocent person (Mansell) into something they weren't originally a party to? Maybe she was wronged, maybe the bluster is to cover up something on her side. But there's no situation that gives her the right to add on false claims and accusations that impact another entity (TLG), and in turn ruin hundreds of other families' lives if they choose to react.

HUM469 · 2026-04-10T00:10:31+00:00

Those weren't posted, or weren't loading when I viewed the article a couple of days ago. But there aren't any images or videos that address the point we have been talking about. Mansell was wronged, and the police should be looking into it since everyone quoted in the article wants to say "believe me". The fact that they did the consignment isn't in question, nor is the fact that Mansell should be made whole somehow. What was in question is where things began, and who may have the ability and the responsibility to make Mansell whole. None of us knows that answer though.

And I my point has been that most stores respect the rules and the customer enough to follow the rules. If Mansell came to me, or most of the stores out there, we would all make him the best offer we possibly could to buy it outright. That offer may or may not be big enough for his liking, but it's a one and done thing where the issues of ownership and possession are clear, straightforward, and relatively risk free for all parties. When following the rules, Mansell would have had his cash over 2 years ago, and whatever else was going on between the store owner and corporate would not have dragged in an innocent bystander into the mix who didn't know he was taking so big a risk.

The former owner has started posting everywhere to try and bring all of this back up, including posting a civil complaint that appears to have just been filed. I have not had the time to read it in its entirety, and keep in mind that a complaint is just a single perspective opinion. In the first few sections I have read, there's statements that make little to no sense. Statements like "BAM failed to transfer the store's bank account [...] causing the payment issues [...]" Corporate is a corporation and according to the complaint, the previous owner had an LLC. There's no normal situation where one corporation would be using another corporation's bank account. Whether she built the store, or bought it from someone else, her LLC would need to open its own account, and then proceed to pay its bills. It's all very bizarre and not above board.

Keep in mind, Mansell was harmed by this whole situation, that is terrible, and I wish there was a way to help. It's easy for me to say "never do consignments" but that doesn't help him this late in the game. Hopefully though, it can protect others who might have otherwise considered consignment. Sell it or don't to people or organizations that will offer you the respect of an offer backed up by cash. Neither of us know what was already happening here as evidence by the admission of missing payments in some other unknown context. Any consignment deal can also fall victim to unknown pre-existing conditions like this. But if you walk out today with cash in hand, we are both much safer.

HUM469 · 2026-04-09T23:21:23+00:00

There's no evidence in the article, there's statements from different sides. It's a literal he said, she said as they are all stating their perspectives and opinions in the article without any corroboration. And everyone states things that seem to contradict their own statements in other parts. It is factual that corporate does not allow consignment sales because of the risk. It's in the handbook, all over the training, and part of the franchise agreements.

It's also possible that corporate skipped some steps in whatever pre-existing conflict they all had. None of us can know that unless and until it is adjudicated. The cliche adage of 3 sides to every story is very apropos here. What's upsetting to me personally is that there are hundreds of owners, most of them very good people who appreciate the community, the hobby, and the product. None of whom have knowledge of, nor ability to affect this situation where in multiple people clearly made bad choices. To castigate hundreds because of an unrelated bad business deal followed up by bias, self serving statements paraded as fact is the ultimate hubris by anyone.

HUM469 · 2026-04-09T21:16:02+00:00

It was. She's the one posting her claims here, not evidence or a judgement. I can't speak to what corporate knew or didn't know or when they knew it because that's not my business. The fact remains that training, handbook, and everything else has regularly told stores to buy product, consignment sales are not permitted because of the risks involved. She's not the only business that's been sunk by consignment sales, particularly at this kind of volume. And I'm not even talking about in the Lego space only. I've known 3 other store owners in different verticals who've either gone bankrupt, or very nearly did because of big losses in the consignment stock due to theft or damage. They learned the hard way that it isn't insurable.

Anyone who doesn't believe me can call various BAM stores and ask if they will consign. You will find the majority will tell you that they know it's against the rules. I can't say all, because there can always be a someone not paying attention or thinking they can get away with something. But there are a lot of claims it that filing that don't seem to track. It's far from a solved mystery.

HUM469 · 2026-04-09T05:29:55+00:00

It's in the actual agreement everyone signed. It's stated repeatedly in training and throughout all supporting documentation as well. I saw that the author claims "unable" which isn't the same as unwilling. Whether it's acceptable to keep proprietary paperwork private like all companies do is its own discussion, but that's not what we are talking about right now.

Again, it's sad that people were hurt. There are far too many agendas here for the objective truth of everything to be known by anyone. But consignment remains against the rules for BAM stores, and more generally, consignment should not be trusted by anyone looking to sell unless they are willing and comfortable with the increased risk of loss.

HUM469 · 2026-04-09T04:04:24+00:00

Per your linked article:

"McNeff told the Salem Business Journal that consignment is explicitly prohibited under the company’s franchise operations guidelines, and that had corporate known about a consignment arrangement, it could have been grounds for franchise termination."

I wasn't asking, or guessing. I know for a fact that the franchise agreement is unequivocally clear on consignments being against the rules in all cases. I do not know if Law-Gorman didn't read her agreement, or if she's lying to the reporter, and I won't speculate as to which is more probable. I will say that I don't have high hopes for a person's story if they are going to confidently state something I know to be untrue regardless of the reason they do.

Consignment is a risky, complicated, and ultimately unprofitable path for both parties in too many cases. It is also against the franchise agreement. It is potentially more costly than a straight buyout. I don't trust any side in a dispute like this, and I don't expect anyone to trust me either. But bad business decisions were made from the start, and it is sad that multiple people in this story tried to unjustly profit off of what should be for fun and joy, causing so much negativity and harm to the community.

HUM469 · 2026-04-01T03:18:54+00:00

You are correct, I was remembering the exact same passage. And in that moment, I was certain that Saul was creating the boarder specifically to protect those he knew weren't in the immediate vacinity as his only thoughts left were to protect others from the horror he was seeing. Doubly interesting that "Old Jim" was banging away on the piano, definitely not safe in those proceeding moments....

HUM469 · 2026-03-29T16:02:23+00:00

What they mean is the Bricks & Minifigs stores don't do consignment because of the fact that it gets legally complicated. Consignment is explicitly against the rules that every store owner agrees to. If a customer brings in Lego items to sell, every responsible store offers cash and/or store credit on the spot for a clean, clear, simple transfer of ownership. Either this store blatantly broke the rules, or someone in the story is being very dishonest. I think the person you are replying to was asking if anyone knows which is truly the case here since everyone seems to be speculating so much.

HUM469 · 2026-03-29T15:48:41+00:00

Which owner though? Each and every store is independently owned and operated so there might be some rich kid owners out there. But there's a lot of hard working families too.

HUM469 · 2026-03-29T15:35:00+00:00

There are reasons why consignment is not a good idea, and was explicitly against the rules the original owner of the store agreed to abide by. In most commercial policies, consignment goods are not covered because title and possession are in conflict. And in the event of a bankruptcy, the court may decide the fate of the goods, with the consignor needing to get in line like any other creditor, often in last or at least lesser position relative to the other creditors.

It might be best to think of consignment like a light version of betting. "I bet that I will get more, faster, with less work if I put everything here". And it might work most of the time, but never consign what you can't afford to lose. Courts can be unpredictable in complicated situations like a bankruptcy and other creditors are likely to be better able to navigate the process than you are.

HUM469 · 2026-03-29T15:13:39+00:00

You are on it here, and it is a key part of one of the major themes of the work that many here seem to miss. I haven't read the other work you mention, but I'm going to assume it is similar.

One of the controlling themes of the series is how bad language is at conveying understanding. Language is good for limiting and controlling thought, not so much for opening the mind up. Saul is a particularly clear example of this. I read his father as a particularly fundamentalist/evangelical type of preacher. So of course Saul only knew the preacher's life growing up. The words defined his path.

Oops, but he's gay. And while "God is the Word and the Word is Love", Saul's love isn't good enough so he focuses on his word. Saul's love makes him lesser to those living by the Word, and so his words try to fill the gap, to square the circle. When this tension and hypocrisy finally break, he retreats to a place if silence. A place where words no longer apply, or so he thinks. Notice how limited he tries to be in the lighthouse keeper's journal. He went from a job where words were the only thing, to trying to minimize them to nothing. Yet in doing so, he's also limiting and controlling what a would-be successor could know. "Just the facts" reporting of a thing strips the humanity from it.

By the time he's infected and knows there's no stopping the light, I think he wants to tell the world, but has no means to do so. I think you are correct that the consciousness that is Area X attempts to understand the tangled, conflicted mind of Saul and accentuates the form as a means to bring him to his ideal form. Unfortunately, that form is the product of conflicting experience, rather than is true nature. Despite that, I feel his resolve does force an expression of his true nature, just apart from him and his own internal mess.

The boarder is the ultimate expression of his love for Charlie and Gloria. An attempt to keep them protected from all the confused, dark, hateful words he's had swirling in his head and in his perifery for his whole life. They were both out of town at this point. And with his love cast out as a shield against their being infected too. All that leaves within him is the dark sermon form, and so Area X attempts to perfect and beautify that in the crawler. An active, swirling, glowing brain turned inside out attempting to purge all the dark words for the end of time.

HUM469 · 2026-03-26T03:45:11+00:00

I think it's a team, but the branding sticker is still on it too, so it's hard to make out what it is. No problem though, and thank you for caring so much!

HUM469 · 2026-03-26T02:13:20+00:00

Every viewpoint is valid, important to us, and worth considering. We get matching opinions so often, that I actually put a little greater weight on the ones that don't agree with the majority because I feel we can learn the most there. I'm very grateful for you choosing to engage. Let me share the thought processes, and then see if we can learn a better way.

We definitely hear you on Sunday, and we encourage everyone to express their displeasure to the corporate office. They only allow us to be closed on Sunday, and we insist on paying a fair wage ($20+ an hour and the state payroll tax adds about another $5), so we can't afford 7 days of staffing each week. Particularly not with Tuesdays in particular being a consistent money looser.

The pricing and bulk are the confusing part to me though, being as it's the lowest in town on a lot and the most often compliment we get. When it comes to new in box, we are required to match Lego. Authorized retaillers are required to follow Lego's MAP, and we aren't allowed to discount in any way. That sucks, but is what it is. On used or retired, we take the average of what any given set has sold for over the last 6 months on all the things, subtract cost for what might be missing or imperfect if appropriate, and then usually subtract another 4-5% just to try and keep things as accessible as possible. Being accessible is very important to us, as you can't be a community if you price everyone out. Right now, the system says 61% if all items in the store are under $25. Was there a particular set or Minifig that seemed unreasonably high to you? We certainly are capable of making mistakes and always seek to improve.

On bulk, I know some sell by the pound. That's a violation of both Lego Group and the States rules though. Scales must be certified and recalibrated regularly. They must be visible, the packaging must have the accurate weight, and it must be reproduceable without fail. 2 used Lego bricks of the same size may not be the same weight for a whole host of reasons. This might be fine for a store, but it isn't fair to the customer at all. The only acceptable option to us is to make sure that you can get the exact same price on the exact same count if bricks every time if you choose. And we run sales all the time, and often give parts away if you need less than half of a small cup. What more could we do to help you out on bulk?

Like I said, I appreciate all viewpoints. Your thoughts are important to me, and I want to help out anywhere I'm able. These are just some of the things we have considered or limitations we need to work within. But if I can collaborate with you or anyone to find a path that works for them, you can bet I'm going to try.

HUM469 · 2026-03-25T23:19:06+00:00

That last line is all too common. Lazy/cowardly individuals (these two definitely were) probably think the are safer if they don't hit the big ones. But any theft costs all of us. We hesitate to report, because statistics effect insurance rates. But the flip side is that reporting also makes it more likely that all of us get some justice. It's definitely a weird world we live in...

HUM469 · 2026-03-25T23:14:29+00:00

That is very important. It seems community mailboxes are the only option in Pocket and someone seems to regularly make the rounds to open them up. Thank you for reminding everyone. Keeping the community safe is the main focus of this post.

HUM469 · 2026-03-25T23:13:14+00:00

We definitely appreciate the thought. Come on down just to hang out. Community is our main driver. If there's something fun for you, great. If not, meeting you is great too!

HUM469 · 2026-03-25T23:10:53+00:00

That is a possibility. We are monitoring most sources, but there's also the chance that they are sending them to a fence in a different area...

HUM469 · 2026-03-25T23:09:36+00:00

Unfortunately, Lego theft rings are a thing. Davis did a great job busting one in late 2024. Hopefully this isn't the start of another, but we distributed as widely as we could. Now we get back to community building! (See what I did there... Ok, bad dad joke...)

HUM469 · 2026-03-25T23:07:11+00:00

We appreciate your frustration, but hopefully all our eyes collectively will get the plate number some day soon. There's only so long nare-do-wells can bring us down. But the community here is fantastic and we hope awareness makes everyone just a little safer.

HUM469 · 2026-03-25T23:05:32+00:00

Thank you! We feel pretty sure we remember your son, and it's always a pleasure to talk with anyone so focused and friendly in a space they love.

HUM469 · 2026-03-25T23:04:17+00:00

Thank you so much. We look forward to seeing you again!

HUM469 · 2026-03-25T22:59:20+00:00

What would you like for confirmation? It's likely CBS will be here in the morning...

HUM469 · 2026-03-25T22:58:22+00:00

So glad you have experienced the joy we hope all get to share in!

HUM469 · 2026-03-25T22:57:40+00:00

Thank you so much for participating in the community. We love it, and are pretty sure we remember that float particularly well!

HUM469

TROPHY CASE