People often ask me, “why did you start a LEGO business?”
There are two answers to this question. The pious answer is that we always wanted a small business in the house, so that when it came time to teach a variety of market-related concepts (supply and demand, value/wealth/money/currency, accounting, etc.) we had a natural way to teach these things.
Perhaps the more honest answer is that I really, really wanted to build a Super Star Destroyer.
Set #10221, the Super Star Destroyer, Darth Vader’s Command Ship. The biggest ship we see in the imperial fleet throughout the trilogy.
Now each adult in this house has a small amount of discretionary money each month, but nothing like the $400 that this set cost. So I hatched a plan. I’d buy the set, list the minifigs, stickers, instructions, etc. on BrickLink to help defray the cost. Then when it was done, I’d disassemble it and sell the used parts on BrickLink to help pay back the debt. To make this happen, I needed a BrickLink store. And I might as well list some of the LEGO from my childhood that I’m not playing with (those plates didn’t fit in with the Arkham Horror organizer I was building with bricks).
With time, prayer, and a few sales, the store grew. We found we enjoyed parting out sets – getting to see all the goodies and help others with their projects. So we decided to let the store grow. Once our first son learned to count while helping to part out sets, we knew this was worth continuing. Today, he helps with pulling and picking orders, sorting parts, and endless laughs. Mr. Wigglesworth has also developed an affinity for the Technic Connectors drawer – frequently making a beeline for it and pulling out a bag or two before we pick him up and put the parts back away.
So how about you? What got you (back) into LEGO? Please share your story with us!
