Paul and Carrie Indelicato, owners of Bricks & Minifigs (Photo by Ash Daniel)
Kids and collectors alike were excited last summer when the Lego Group announced it would be building a new factory in Chesterfield. Fans of the world’s largest toy company wondered if the plant, scheduled to open in 2025, might attract a Lego Store to the region. Given the brand’s astounding popularity — the company posted 17% revenue growth in the first half of 2022 — Paul and Carrie Indelicato weren’t waiting to find out. Last month, the duo opened a Henrico-based franchise of Bricks & Minifigs.
Richmond magazine: How is Bricks & Minifigs different from an official Lego Store?
Paul Indelicato: An official Lego Store is owned by the company and sells the newest sets. Bricks & Minifigs complements those stores. It is the largest toy store franchise for buying, selling and trading new and used Lego sets, bulk bricks and minifigures. We also carry Lego-branded merchandise like storage tubs, backpacks and school supplies.
RM: What inspired you to open the store?
Indelicato: Both of my parents have been entrepreneurs — my father opened a deli in the West End with a good friend, and my mother operated a bear- and doll-making business out of our home for years. Being around those environments really stuck with me. My wife, Carrie, and I have always loved Lego, and Bricks & Minifigs presented an awesome opportunity to pair that love with my desire to own a business. As we learned about the franchise and the company’s commitment to building strong Lego communities around their stores, we determined it was the right fit for us.
RM: Is there a market for used Lego sets?
Indelicato: A huge market! Lego regularly retires sets, so collectors might miss out on buying them new or want a set they remember from childhood. On the other side, interests and hobbies change, so parents, or even collectors might be looking to sell their Lego sets. Customers can bring in just about anything Lego-related to sell or trade.
RM: We’ve heard building with Lego was a popular pandemic project for adults. Do you expect that your customers will primarily be children or adults?
Indelicato: We truly believe that we have something for every age group. We offer specific used sets priced for kids to afford with their allowance, as well as high-end collectible sets for adults. We have a dedicated space that can be used for birthday parties, but also for team events and training. We want to offer summer camps that teach kids to use Lego to code or make stop-motion animations.
RM: You mentioned a commitment to building a strong community. What will that look like?
Indelicato: Carrie and I belong to the Richmond Lego Users Group and support their goal of growing the Lego community here. We are reaching out to the parent-teacher association organizations near our store, because we believe it is important to support the groups that support our schools and teachers. Lastly, we plan to support groups like Feed More, several animal shelters and the Autism Society of Central Virginia. It’s not enough to just own and run a business — we want to foster a positive and fun place where people can experience the magic that Lego can bring to building together.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
