Benjamin Gorman puts the Bricks & Minifigs inventory mystery in the spotlight amid widespread Coffeezilla LEGO controversy (Image via Getty)
Benjamin Gorman says one of the missing documents could become one of the most important pieces in the growing Bricks & Minifigs dispute. The former Salem, Oregon, franchise owner claims Bricks & Minifigs (BAM) never provided a complete list of inventory after taking control of the store, despite allegedly promising to do so.
His comments come as the case continues to attract attention online following investigations by YouTubers Reckless Ben and Coffeeezilla.The dispute first gained attention through questions surrounding a Star Wars LEGO set sent by Brian Mansell and his father. Coffeezilla later reviewed the case and suggested that the amount of LEGO still missing may be much less than many people initially thought.
Meanwhile, he said Mansell could still owe significant money from sales that were allegedly not paid properly. Now, Gorman and former co-owner Crystal Law say the focus is shifting toward what happened when BAM took over the Salem store and the inventory that was already inside at the time.
Benjamin Gorman says Bricks & Minifigs never delivered the inventory promised
In a recent YouTube video, Benjamin Gorman thanked Covisella for bringing more attention to what he called the “Salem LEGO Trials.”
He said the increased interest helped their legal fundraising efforts, which raised more than $80,000.According to Gorman, BAM promised to provide a detailed list of inventory on the night it took control of the store. He said the inventory was important because the franchise agreement would have allowed the previous owners to challenge the numbers through an independent evaluator.
Gorman also claimed that BAM did not use a neutral company representative during the evaluation process.
Instead, Brandon Best, who later ran the store alongside Joshua Johnson, allegedly participated in the valuation of the store’s assets. Gorman argued that created a conflict of interest because the couple had allegedly already been told they could buy the store.
Crystal Law challenges takeover claims in Salem LEGO dispute
During a four-hour podcast appearance, Crystal Low and Benjamin Gorman discussed their version of the events surrounding the store takeover. They said Brandon Best arrived at the store on Nov. 14, 2024, in a rented U-Haul truck, and said subsequent explanations about the vehicle raised additional questions.Low and Gorman also claimed they lost access to important records after BAM took control, including emails, insurance documents, tax records, and point-of-sale information. Law said some of Brian Mansell’s belongings had been sold shortly before the takeover but have not yet been fully settled because she expects to update records and pay him during a future visit.The previous owners also rejected BAM’s claim that they had abandoned the business.
Lu said they did not sign any papers to transfer ownership or terminate the franchise agreement. It also claimed that BAM never properly transferred the store’s lease before later citing lease issues as part of the reason for taking control.BAM has disputed many of the allegations. The company previously reported that Law and Gorman entered into an unauthorized consignment agreement with Mansell and said company records showed more than $52,000 in sales from the collection during its ownership.
