At Bricks & Minifigs, owner Jody Lesinski has turned a pastime into a profession — and a community hub for builders of all ages.
“It was one day I was just playing LEGO with my son and I’m like, this is fantastic,” Lesinski said. “LEGO is such a great product. How can I do something to make a living with this?” He opened the Clinton Township shop in 2014 and has been growing with the brick-loving crowd ever since.
Lesinski said the store differentiates itself from big-box retailers through selection and experience. “We try to be as different as possible from all the other stores where you can get Lego,” he said. “We have things that you’re just not going to find anywhere else, like retired sets, individual minifigures, and of course, our loose bricks.”
Inside, shoppers will find options for every builder, from Duplo for toddlers to intricate sets for adults. “LEGO has really turned a corner recently, and they’re making and developing more sets more for adults,” Lesinski said. “All of the kids that had Lego 30 or 40 years ago are now adults and they’re still fans.”
The store’s hands-on draw includes six bulk tables piled high with loose bricks, letting customers cherry-pick pieces by color or part type. “If you want green pieces, you can fill your container up with green pieces,” Lesinski said. “If you like wheels… you could fill your entire container up with wheels if that’s what you want.” A build-your-own minifigure station and thousands of preassembled minifigures reflect the shop’s buy-sell-trade model, which keeps inventory constantly changing.
Bricks & Minifigs, located at 15254 Canal Road in Clinton Township, is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. More information: bricksandminifigs.com.