CLEARWATER, Fla. — A father and son in Clearwater have turned their favorite toy into a business that the entire community can enjoy. This weekend, they held the grand opening for Bricks & Minifigs.
“I am so glad ABC Action News is covering this story because this is such an interesting and fun way to build community around a toy, around an event that everybody of all ages can participate in. It's great to let people know that these opportunities are out there,” said owner Doug Phares.
Doug and his son Connor say when it comes to their relationship, look no further than LEGO.
“I grew up playing LEGO, stopped doing it like so many people do when they get older. So when I had a son, it was very cool because then he got into LEGO, and by that, I started buying the ultimate collector series, massive sets of 1,000 pieces or more,” said Doug.
“I knew I’d build the LEGO sets as soon as I got them. I remember distinctly one Christmas, mom insisted that I do not build the LEGO set before we drove all the way from Illinois back to Ohio. That LEGO set did not make it back in one piece,” said Connor.
So when they had the opportunity to open the first Bricks & Minifigs store in Clearwater, they thought it was the perfect way to share their love of the toy with the rest of the community.
“Everyday it's like Christmas, I get to see a new LEGO set come in that I haven’t seen before or one that I’ve been wanting to see for a while,” said Connor.
They specialize in buying, selling, and trading new and used LEGO, whether it’s an entire set or just a bin full of spare parts.
“We clean them, we certify them, we put them up on the wall so someone else can enjoy them,” said Doug.
However, they want to be so much more than just a store, but a voice in the LEGO community.
“We’ll be running regular My Own Creation contests, building clubs. We’ll have a LEGO users group set up that can meet on a regular basis. We intend to bring community groups in—there is a youth dive club that has already contacted us about using this space to meet,” said Doug.
Clearwater residents said it’s nice to see a family who appreciates a pirate ship, firehouse or superhero just as much as they do.
“You can relate to people on things, you can actually meet new people, make new friends,” said Jacob Sare.
“Letting your imagination express itself with other people that might have similar or different ideas, they could possibly come together in some way,” said Jared Barnes.
“You threw my son under the bus. You didn't take care of him.”
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