Bricks & Minifigs has denied claims that it attempted to seize a GoFundMe fundraiser connected to YouTuber Reckless Ben's investigation into a disputed Lego collection belonging to the Mansell family. The dispute centers on Bryan Mansell and his 80-year-old father, who allege they consigned a valuable Lego Star Wars collection to a Bricks & Minifigs store in Salem-Keizer, Oregon. According to the family, the arrangement allowed the store to sell items from the collection for a 35% commission while ownership remained with the Mansells until each set was sold.
Controversy and Legal Action
The controversy gained wider attention after Reckless Ben began investigating claims that the collection, widely reported as being worth around $200,000, was not returned after the store changed ownership. Bricks & Minifigs has since filed a lawsuit against Ben, the Mansell family and others connected to the dispute, alleging a coordinated campaign against the company.
Company Statement
In a statement, Bricks & Minifigs said it had “worked diligently to resolve the Mansell collection issue” and described the matter as “an isolated and unfortunate incident related to a single former franchisee.” The company also rejected claims relating to the GoFundMe fundraiser established for the Mansell family. “At no point did we make any legal attempt to seize the Mansell family GoFundMe account or any other GoFundMe account, nor did we ever approve consignments as an authorized sales process,” the company stated.
GoFundMe Details
The fundraiser became a focal point of the dispute after Reckless Ben claimed in a video published on June 9 that continuing his investigation could expose him to legal consequences. He also alleged that money raised for the Mansell family could potentially be redirected elsewhere and later stated that the fundraiser had been removed. According to Ben, donations at the time were between $300,000 and $400,000. The fundraiser was restored on June 10 after temporarily displaying a “Fundraiser not found” message. It later reached $457,730 towards its $500,000 target.
Value of the Collection
Bricks & Minifigs also disputed reports valuing the collection at $200,000, stating that its worth was “far less” than widely reported figures. The company's position aligns with findings from YouTuber Coffeezilla, who estimated the collection's value at approximately $107,000 and suggested that between $10,000 and $20,000 worth of Lego remained unaccounted for. However, Coffeezilla also stated that the Mansell family could still be owed between $50,000 and $83,000 for items that had already been sold.
Original Agreement
Addressing the original agreement, Bricks & Minifigs said a legal investigation found the former franchisee had operated outside approved corporate procedures. The company added that consignments were never authorised as part of its official sales process. The dispute remains ongoing, with a preliminary court hearing scheduled for June 30.
