AuthorJoe Sharpe, ABR®, MLIS, MRP®, Realtor® Archives
March 2021
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The three principles of Macomb Township’s Bricks & Minifigs is Rebuild, Reuse, Reimagine. For a Lego® resale shop, they seem like fantastic pillars so let’s talk about them to determine how this national franchise founded by David Ortiz and John Masek in 2010 has done since opening the first Michigan location in 2018. Rebuild: the Macomb Township location has six large table stands filled with Lego® pieces, not just bricks but wheels, windows, wings, and a host of other parts. They allow visitors to come in and rebuild projects from the past (if you can remember the instructions and find the pieces) or create new ones. It’s a great way to burn an hour of time with your little one after school or over a weekend. They don’t require a purchase but good luck getting out without buying something! For a father, I have to say this is is an A+ service. Reuse: their stated business model is to buy, sell and trade Lego® parts and “pay top dollar” for it. Ok, let’s be real, any survivable business model will not be able to “pay top dollar” for anything and stay in business for long. You are guaranteed to get maybe 20-30% of value on the dollar if you attempt to sell your Lego® pieces to this store. It’s no different than any other resale shop. They cannot pay top dollar when they have overhead. There must be a margin. With that said, reselling on Amazon or Ebay costs time, listing fees and shipping costs – so weight your options if you want to sell your pieces. Another part of the Reuse pillar, is selling. To sell, one must have good selection and this shop does. From fantasy minifigs, to Star Wars® to super-hero, their inventory is impressive. They also sell new kits, old instructions and accessories. Now, if there were any complaints about this store, it would be their pricing. Minifigs are about $5 on the low-end, and can go up dramatically from there depending on its rarity. You can probably find better deals at online resale shops. But again, there are other considerations. Though in almost every case, you’ll pay more in this store than going online, you will have to go through the work of finding that item you’re looking for online, have to bid on it, pay shipping costs and of course, shopping online is not as environmentally friendly. Reimagine: This pillar is similar to their rebuild – and seems to emphasize only that they also sell new sets. It’s up to the individual to reimagine so this pillar is just marketing fluff. It’s great they sell new sets but if I were their CEO, I’d use this “R” from their promos and change it to “Relax” or “Relate”, either to emphasize that one can just walk in, relax and play – or, that this store relates, by offering birthday party celebrations and even posts shopper’s creations on their website. How proud would your little one be seeing their hard work posted online? This is a really cool service they should promote more. By and large, Bricks & Minifigs is a great local business to visit if you or your children like Lego® products. They don’t charge to come in and play, have a great selection and offer other services for kids. Don’t look to make money by selling your old Lego® and find a deal of a lifetime when buying, but their prices aren’t outrageous considering their overhead. If one were to spend an hour there playing and buy a $5 minifig, I’d say it’s a fair deal. Your kids will love it too. Verdict: Check it out! Each RE/MAX Office is Independently Owned and Operated. Equal Housing Opportunity.
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