Inside the $107k Bricks and Minifigs Lego Consignment Dispute

Brian Mancel placed a Star Wars Lego collection on consignment at the Bricks and Minifigs store in Salem, Oregon. Marketing materials quoted him saying the collection was worth about $200,000. On November 14, 2024, Brandon Best and Josh Johnson took over the franchise from former owners Crystal and Ben Gorman.

The U‑Haul Controversy

Shortly after the takeover, reports surfaced of a U‑Haul truck at the store. Corporate initially denied any U‑Haul, insisting that Brandon Best had arrived in a rental car. The company later clarified that a U‑Haul had been used on October 24 for a separate inventory pickup and that a different U‑Haul arrived on November 14 to transport a camping trailer, not the Legos. Photographic evidence, however, confirms a U‑Haul was present on the day of the takeover, contradicting the early denial.

Inventory & Valuation

Independent analysis corrected the original $200,000 estimate to roughly $107,000. About $24,000 of the collection was recorded as sold by the Gormans, with Mancel receiving $17,000. Corporate claimed only $2,000–$5,000 of the collection remained in the store on the night of the takeover. A comparison of point‑of‑sale records, layaway data, and photographs suggests a larger amount of inventory was still on site, leaving an unexplained gap of roughly $50,000–$83,000. Layaway figures appear unusually high for this specific collection, adding to the discrepancy.

Corporate Response

CEO Ammon McNeff and COO Matt McNeff spoke about the dispute, emphasizing that the remaining inventory was minimal and that the legal approach was necessary to protect the brand. “After taking over the store, we discovered a small number of sets valued between $2 to $5,000 that could be possibly related to Mr. Mancel’s collection,” they said. Their statements frame the issue as a corporate‑franchisee conflict rather than a simple missing‑inventory case.

Legal Escalation

The disagreement escalated into aggressive litigation. Bricks and Minifigs filed a $1.3 million lawsuit against Brian Mancel and associated parties, while Mancel’s representatives argue that he is still out $50,000–$83,000 for Lego he never received compensation for. The lawsuit also implicates YouTuber “Reckless Ben,” who is currently facing a RICO suit related to the investigation.