Bricks & Minifigs Pocket Sacramento set to close for a week

Bricks & Minifigs Pocket Sacramento, a locally owned toy store, is closing for a week after receiving death threats and harassment stemming from a dispute unrelated to the store. “We want the harassment to stop,” said Dylan Anderson, general manager of the privately-owned Sacramento franchise. “We’ve been barraged with calls, texts, emails. It’s been extremely stressful for all of our team and for some of our customers,” Anderson said. “Some of the calls and emails have been death threats.” The harassment is tied to an alleged consignment dispute involving $200,000 worth of rare Star Wars LEGO sets. A YouTube video with millions of views claims the Bricks & Minifigs corporation in Utah, which is separate from the Sacramento franchise, stole the collection without paying the collector. One of the threatening messages directed at the Sacramento store said, “You’re part of the s—tbag corporation. We’re gonna f— you just like we f—-ed them.” Another message said, “Either you stand up and stand on your own two feet, or we just come out and take your own two feet out from underneath ya.” Anderson said his priority is the safety of his employees, customers, and family. “All I can do is look out for my customers, staff and my family,” he said. The store, which opened less than a year ago, has been working to build a sense of community in Sacramento. Anderson said he hopes the temporary closure will give people time to understand the difference between the local franchise and the corporation in Utah. “We appreciate people’s passions. We try to acknowledge that, but we are an independent store, owned here in the community of Sacramento,” Anderson said. Longtime customer, Reginald Lowe, expressed confusion over the harassment. “It’s toys, yes it is,” Lowe said. “Because it’s toys, we don’t understand the harassment.” He sees this store as a part of the community, “The little kiddies all over the place. It sounds like community, like life, like happiness. So for me it’s perfect.” Anderson said he doesn’t want the community to lose the store. “It’s harmful and Sacramento could lose a local business over this,” he said. The store will close for a week starting June 13. Anderson encouraged people to support the business when it reopens and to ask questions before making assumptions.Ben Schneider with the Reckless Ben YouTube channel sent KCRA 3 the following statement: “The vast majority of Bricks & Minifigs franchise owners around the country were not the subject of my investigation, and I would encourage viewers not to direct anger toward independent store owners who were not involved in the matter being reported on.” See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

Bricks & Minifigs Pocket Sacramento, a locally owned toy store, is closing for a week after receiving death threats and harassment stemming from a dispute unrelated to the store.

“We want the harassment to stop,” said Dylan Anderson, general manager of the privately-owned Sacramento franchise.

“We’ve been barraged with calls, texts, emails. It’s been extremely stressful for all of our team and for some of our customers,” Anderson said. “Some of the calls and emails have been death threats.”

The harassment is tied to an alleged consignment dispute involving $200,000 worth of rare Star Wars LEGO sets. A YouTube video with millions of views claims the Bricks & Minifigs corporation in Utah, which is separate from the Sacramento franchise, stole the collection without paying the collector.

One of the threatening messages directed at the Sacramento store said, “You’re part of the s—tbag corporation. We’re gonna f— you just like we f—-ed them.”

Another message said, “Either you stand up and stand on your own two feet, or we just come out and take your own two feet out from underneath ya.”

Anderson said his priority is the safety of his employees, customers, and family.

“All I can do is look out for my customers, staff and my family,” he said.

The store, which opened less than a year ago, has been working to build a sense of community in Sacramento. Anderson said he hopes the temporary closure will give people time to understand the difference between the local franchise and the corporation in Utah.

“We appreciate people’s passions. We try to acknowledge that, but we are an independent store, owned here in the community of Sacramento,” Anderson said.

Longtime customer, Reginald Lowe, expressed confusion over the harassment.

“It’s toys, yes it is,” Lowe said. “Because it’s toys, we don’t understand the harassment.”

He sees this store as a part of the community, “The little kiddies all over the place. It sounds like community, like life, like happiness. So for me it’s perfect.”

Anderson said he doesn’t want the community to lose the store.

“It’s harmful and Sacramento could lose a local business over this,” he said.

The store will close for a week starting June 13. Anderson encouraged people to support the business when it reopens and to ask questions before making assumptions.

Ben Schneider with the Reckless Ben YouTube channel sent KCRA 3 the following statement:

“The vast majority of Bricks & Minifigs franchise owners around the country were not the subject of my investigation, and I would encourage viewers not to direct anger toward independent store owners who were not involved in the matter being reported on.”

See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel