Bricks & Minifigs CEO breaks silence as Reckless Ben LEGO saga goes to federal court
It has been just over a month since Ben "Reckless Ben" Schneider's investigation into Bricks & Minifigs started, and the LEGO retailer's CEO has now broken his silence with a response to the allegations presented by the YouTuber.
The allegations surround a cosignment arrangement agreed between the previous owners of a Bricks & Minifigs (BAM) store in Salem, Oregan – which has since been closed down – with Bryan Mansell offering his elderly father's massive Star Wars LEGO collection for the store to sell on his behalf.
Videos posted by YouTuber Reckless Ben alleged that these LEGO sets were 'stolen' from Mansell – a fact that BAM leadership has denied on several occasions – and CEO Ammon McNeff has now issued a statement regarding the matter, alongside revealing reforms to how the company operates following the controversy.
What has McNeff said about the 'stolen' LEGO?
Responding to the situation which remains ongoing, Ammon McNeff outlined that both he and his fellow leadership figures at Bricks & Minifigs "understand why this story has stirred so much emotion, and we don't take that lightly."
He also outlined a desire "to reinforce [that] this is an isolated, unfortunate incident related to a single franchisee who did not obtain an approval for any consignment arrangement.
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"It does not undermine the integrity of our more than 300 other independent and unrelated franchisees," McNeff continued. "Our goal has never changes: help make this family whole, enhance our operational processes, and build a company our franchisees and customers can be proud of for years to come."
Bricks & Minifigs leadership have reaffirmed their commitment to resolving the dispute between Mansell and the former BAM franchise store in Salem, Oregon, outlining the facts it believes to be relevant to recent claims made by those weighing in on the controversy from the outside.
The facts outlined by Bricks & Minifigs
BAM have outlined that the first conversations initiated by Mansell regarding the LEGO sets were made in September 2023, where the internal investigation outlined a peak retail value of between $95,000 and $100,000.
This lines up with Mansell's own expected appraisal of $80,000, but differs wildly from the $200,000 figure that was promoted publicly — which BAM indicate was not confirmed or appriased.
Internal point-of-sale data records around $61,000 worth of associated LEGO sold at the store – a figure which itself could be higher – although Mansell himself only received payments of around $15,000.
The company maintains an ongoing investigation into the discrepancy between on-record sales and the money that was given to Mansell as a result, and has made a good-faith offer to the Mansell family for anything that can be confirmed to be accounted for, alongside providing Mansell with any Star Wars LEGO sets that were still within the Salem store's inventory, regardless of whether they originated from his collection or not.
In addition, BAM has reaffirmed its position that it does not authorize any franchisees to enter into third-party consignment arrangements that result in the acquisition of LEGO products, and operates strictly on a 'buy, sell, and trade' across its stores.
What's happened with Reckless Ben?
While the mystery surrounding the allegedly 'stolen' LEGO appears to be reaching its conclusion – especially after other YouTubers have stepped in – Reckless Ben's circumstances remain difficult as he is the subject of a lawsuit from BAM.
The case has recently been moved from state to federal court after an amendment agreed to by both the defendants and plaintiffs was denied by the judge, and it appears as if the YouTuber remains unable to finish his investigative series on the LEGO retailer with a restraining order still hanging over his head.