Everything is awesome in the world of LEGO — especially for Bricks & Minifigs.
Last year, Bricks & Minifigs — a LEGO resale franchise that buys, sells and trade bricks, sets and minifigures — celebrated its 200th franchise with Tucson Northwest Bricks & Minifigs. Known for its mix of nostalgia and treasure-hunt fun, the brand has expanded rapidly, becoming a go-to destination for builders and collectors. Arizona has been notable for Bricks & Minifigs: Its 100th store is in Northeast Mesa.
Since 2023, the brand has been on a growth streak worthy of a master builder, adding 150 stores in just two years. It’s one of the company’s fastest expansion, proving that the demand for bricks, minifigs, and nostalgia shows no signs of slowing down, according to Ammon McNeff, Bricks & Minifigs chief executive officer.
When Ammon joined Bricks & Minifigs as CEO in 2018, the brand had 35 operating franchisees — he and his brother, Matt, among them. Now there are more than 300.
The expansion set revenue records, including $37,301 in a single grand opening day, and over $1.7 million for a single store in 2025. Overall brand revenue exceeded $95 million, with multiple locations achieving million-dollar sales, highlighting the strength of the Bricks & Minifigs model and the success of its franchise partners.
The brothers envision a future with over 3,500 stores worldwide, including Canada, Australia and non-English-speaking countries.
“There’s a nostalgia factor,” said Ammon, whose first LEGO was an “Avengers” Tower from the “Age of Ultron” movie. “A lot of people are looking to reconnect with happier times, maybe more innocent times, when they didn’t have as many stresses or pressures.
“LEGO provides that connection.”
Northwest Tucson/Marana Bricks & Minifigs owner Suzanne Showalter said she and her husband, Steven, purchased a franchise after his passion for LEGO was rekindled during the pandemic.
“I looked up how to sell my husband’s LEGO collection online, and I came across Bricks & Minifigs,” Suzanne said.
“When this territory opened, I grabbed it and decided this was what we were going to do. So, he quit the plumbing job that he had been doing for 28-plus years.”
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The stars aligned for the Showalters — and it was the perfect move.
“It sounds a lot better than just about any other job I can think of,” Steven said with a laugh. “I’m 55, and there is no way [Suzanne] wants me around the house every day. We just took the ball and ran with it.”
Like other stores, the Northwest Tucson location regularly hosts events mainly aimed at families and children. One of these events is Book and Builds, in which a staff member reads a story, followed by a related activity. Homeschoolers are welcome to participate in STEM-related projects, and the Showalters visit schools’ career days.
Northwest Tucson Bricks & Minifigs sees adults come in to buy parts for themselves, too.
“We have a couple who come in regularly for pieces,” Suzanne said. “They build their own. They’re really into MOCs [‘My Own Creation’]. They come in with a list of different pieces they need, and they love to tell us what they’re building and why they need this particular piece. And it’s so much fun to hear the stories about why they’re building it and how they’re building it. They’re so excited to build it together.”
Brendan and Anissa Arnold are the second owners of the Peoria Bricks & Minifigs and the move was a natural fit for the couple. His stepfather, Brandon Mansfield opened the Chandler Bricks & Minifigs store in late 2023. Brendan followed.
“My wife and I helped them get up and running,” Arnold said. “I thought I wanted to do this. It coincided with my wanting to make a career change. It was the push that I needed to take that jump into business ownership.”
Mansfield said being in the same industry as Brandon has strengthened their bond, as the two spend more time talking.
“It’s brought the family together,” Mansfield said.
Like other Bricks & Minifigs owners, Mansfield was a LEGO fan as a child but grew out of the hobby. He tired of working in management wanted a new challenge. He found the franchise, which diverts fans from the screens, he said.
“Parents are coming in their kids,” Mansfield said. “They will build sets a little bit here and there. I tell them they’ll start to enjoy it more and more. It becomes very memorable and enjoyable. It builds relationships and is calming.”
Many stores have party rooms. At the Peoria store, the pinewood derby track is a big hit — literally and figuratively.
“Children race them down our racetrack and they usually off the end and — at least for us — we let them fly off the end of the track,” Brendan said.
“They’ll crash and blow up. The kids have to rebuild them before they come up for the next race. It adds more fun to the party and keeps the kids busy. Sometimes I think they enjoy the crash more than the actual race.”
Ammon is proud to be a part of the fun.
“It’s been a privilege to be able to be a part of this ecosystem that has a lot of passionate people in it, that brings more joy to other people and helps support families,” the CEO said.
“Franchisees can support families with a franchise unit. That franchise employes and provides other opportunities for other people. At BAM franchising, we say we exist to provide for families — monetarily and emotionally.”
