Reckless Ben Just TOOK OVER Bricks & Minifigs?!

0:00Instagram teen accounts have automatic protections for what teens see and who can contact them. Plus, time management tools. And Instagram will continue adding built-in safety features to help create age-appropriate experiences. Learn more about teen accounts and Instagram's ongoing work to protect teens online at Instagram.com slash teen accounts. So this is kind of funny. Reckless Ben is opening a rival LEGO store in a former bricks and mini-figs location in the middle of the lawsuit. This is like the logo, the font, isn't it like the same font? It's the same font pretty much. Yeah, this is, I mean, hey, I will give him credit for living up to his name. This is this is kind of like in the middle of a lawsuit opening a competitor using a similar logo in a former location when you're getting a lawsuit within his crazy.

1:06We're going to talk about this might take a little peek at his his video where he's announcing it. But yeah, so this is Reckless Ben, the guy who was looking into the bricks and mini-figs situation. Now they did sell bricks and mini-figs did sell with the Mansl family. And I think they're taking off the board, but they're still ongoing litigation with Reckless Ben and bricks and mini-figs. And they've threatened him multiple times. They tried to get his Patreon taken down. They tried to silence him on YouTube. They had like they have like the different audio recordings with the police where they were like, say, and so that wasn't even true. Oh, yeah, yeah, could we have a gunner store because he's threatening our people? He's threatening our people. Yeah, it's crazy. So now he's opening his own bricks and mini-figs. I'm sorry, Reckless, Reckless bricks. And we'll see how this goes. We're going to talk about it for you today. Please subscribe for more pop culture news views and rants. Guys, yeah, if you do, so this is coming from Deserto, right? Okay, let's see what's going on here.

2:07YouTuber Reckless Ben opens a new like a resale store in Tucson, Arizona using the location previously operated as bricks and mini-figs. Southeast Tucson, while lawsuit filed by the franchise company remains ongoing. I think I should have stopped the lawsuit in the Senate. This kid's got a pair of balls. I mean, I'll give that. That's crazy. Ben, whose full name is Benjamin Schneider, became widely known this year after investigating and disputed Lego Star Wars collection that the Mansl family said was improperly handled after being consigned to a bricks and mini-figs store in Oregon. The controversy led to a rest police investigations, viral videos and a lawsuit from BAM franchising. I cannot wait for the Netflix documentary on this and it'll be like a 20 part saga. It's going to be brilliant. They need to do that. BAM and bricks and mini-figs sued Reckless Ben over the investigation in June. Okay, so the Mansl family later reached a settlement with BAM, which we talked about that. But the separate case against Schneider and other defendants is still active.

3:08Including the original owners of the store that they kind of got gone and this is what led to the whole right missing Lego debacle to begin with. The missing Lego debacle. A federal judge has allowed Ben to discuss the lawsuit and engage in lawful investigative journalism. Yeah, because they tried to block them. They tried to put a they tried to put in junction that he couldn't talk about it or do anything that he couldn't talk about it because they said so. And they're like, no, you can't because we said so. You can't do that. Like well, they were trying to say he couldn't do was ridiculous. And they're like, that's why they said, no, you can't do that. They said you can't make threats. You can't trespass. You can't do that. So they're interfering with their stores. Well, I guess that doesn't include opening arrival. Former location. So Ben is calling Reckless bricks the first domino. The first Reckless brick store opened at noon on Saturday, September 12th. And Tucson, the address was listed in BAM's 2026 franchise disclosure document. According to the BAM map, the opening feature to red carpet, a line of customers, a U-Haul and a tarp covering the previous bricks and many figs sign.

4:10Multiple YouTubers live stream from inside the store, including Ben, total A fall BJC live and shielded Norcross. I do not know who these people are. They must be people that are just like glamin' on to the bricks and many. Yeah, that's something that definitely cover Legos or some may they cover Legos. Yeah, the news story. I don't know who they are in the comments. I'm just people like you don't know who BLC DLC is. No, I don't. I don't know who we are either and that's fine. People are not offended. Who the hell is clownfish? What clownfish? I'm not offended at all because we are a very like niche. You know what I'm saying? Like I don't that's fine if you know who we are. I don't know who we are half the time. Like fuck. It's like, well, it's a month. I don't know who I am half the time. Anyway, the news story advertises Legos set action figures die cast cars collectibles, custom mini figures, bulk bricks, trade-ins, and birthday parties, hurry, hurry, hurry down to reckless bricks. It's website describes it as veteran owned and operated but public material

5:13does not establish whether Schneider personally owns the business. Is he a vet? I don't know if he's a vet or not. Ben referred to it as the owner store during his lives from OK. During the stream, Ben said the location had been struggling and claimed its owner believed the business was only weeks away from closing. He said sales were down 70% with previous year. Bricks and Mini-Figs sales down. I can't imagine why. I know what happened. I will tell you something about a little side story here in a minute. But go ahead. Ben pitched reckless bricks as an alternative to the BAM franchise system telling other bricks and Mini-Figs owners they could rebrand their stores under his name and pay me 0%. BAM's franchise agreement requires owners to pay the greater of 6% of revenue or 500 per month of royalties. If this store is successful, then all the other stores might follow Ben said. So we're calling this the first domino. Damn. Wow. Damn, son. What was your... Oh, sorry. You were talking about people, you know, about how people aren't buying stuff there

6:14because of what happened. I like, I own on different boards. And there was one lady talking like a mom, more like a mom board type person. How she sells, you know, kids close to like different, different secondhand clothing stores or, you know, play this closet and stuff like that. And she goes, I found a new one. If your kids are down with their legos, you can go to a tip bricks and Mini-Figs. And a bunch of other comments are like, don't do that. They're like, there's a whole thing where they got in trouble. And so all these people were telling this person all about it in the comments. And she's like, oh my gosh, I didn't even know that. So this is like a regular person, a normie. And then they're being taught that this is going on. So everybody knows about this. It's not like it's like this little niche thing that no one knows about. Like everyone is making sure everybody knows about this. I don't understand. I guess maybe I'm just dumb and some people think I'm dumb. But I don't understand why you need to be part of a franchise unless they're supplying you with inventory or support or something because they're legos.

7:14Like anybody can sell legos. You can resell legos. Right? And why you have to pay them is it because you think the prestige of having the bricks and mini-figs. Maybe I'm. But it probably gets something for paying the $500 a month. A headache. Well, I know. I was just having like promotion or something. I don't know. Anybody here, anybody here, a franchise owner in the comments? Can you tell us anything? Do anything for you? Well, because that happens with comic shops too and game shops too. They have these franchises. And I'm like, you can literally do everything yourself. I don't understand why you have to be part of this network. I think what happens a lot of times is you have people that. You know, they don't they want to start a business, but they don't want to take all the the chances themselves. But the problem, the problem with this is that you can get corporate involved in your business if things go sideways. If they get just changed it as easy as that, if you pay $500 a month just to use the name. And apparently that the owners don't want to be part associated anymore. They get to keep all their inventory the store. But it implies it's all theirs.

8:16You just... Instagram teen accounts have automatic protections for what teens see and who can contact them. Plus, time management tools. And Instagram will continue adding built-in safety features to help create age-appropriate experiences. Learn more about teen accounts and Instagram's ongoing work to protect teens online at Instagram.com slash teen accounts. Let's go ahead and try it. You have to find a way to you. All right, licensing the name. Yeah, that doesn't make any damn sense. It doesn't make any sense to me. Let's take a look at this part right here. All right, let's see. I guess I was just interviewing the crew that's awkward. Okay, I'm going to try and find someone else. Let's get our cash register lady. today. 100 dollars worth of

9:20like us. That's like a very small set. It's like, it's like a very tiny set. Legos are expensive. They were expensive when we're kids and they're so expensive. That's crazy. Really? Do these be able to pay rent this year or this month? Yeah. Oh, just today alone definitely. Oh, nice. So wait, your franchise, but you got paid that you know I'm saying like I don't understand benefits. No, what's out? Yeah, that only there. It sounds to me and from what it sounds like. That they pay for the rent. They pay for the merchandise. They pay for everything, but they have to pay money out to bricks and mini-figs to put their name on the building and license it under them and then they put it on their map. Because it doesn't sound like you get much else because if it was like them running everything, they're doing the inventory. You wouldn't be able to do this. You wouldn't be able to just to be like, Oh, you know, I'm just going to leave your franchise and go with this one. Right. And you're not going to do that like that. Yeah, I would think that at this point, bricks and mini-figs corporate needs to pay all their franchises for all the money. They probably lost. I don't know, but what things could happen is they're probably going to hurt and put a set now documents

10:22there by that if you're you're licensed with us, you but you have to stay with us for so long. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Or something because they didn't see this coming. I mean, nobody saw this coming. Well, usually usually a franchise agreement you do agree, you know, to terms or whatever. But apparently doesn't matter. Because this place is literally money. So they just decided to go with him instead. That's like flies. They owned everything and they were just going to license. Did you use the name? It's like McDowell's. McDowell's from coming to America. It was a McDonald's and then McDowell's anyway. You're not going to have to close down a store. I guess the theory is this. I'm going to go back outside really quick. See us in here. But I think the theory is that all of the bricks and mini-figs stores, they all want out because no one wants to pay 6% to put a brand on their store that says they steal from old people. You know, why would you pay money to make your store worse? Like that's so stupid. So I think the reason none of them are doing is because they're scared that corporate is going to take over the store. Yeah. That's

11:22like the other person which I guess they could take over the store. But this guy, he was about that he's like literally like I can't pay my employees anymore. Like the brand has name has been so tarnished that my I think his store is down 70% of what it was last year. So he's like I literally can't pay my employees anymore. They should sue the franchise owner should sue the corporation and be like you got into this bullshit situation. You would just kind of resolved it right from the get go and you didn't. Right. I think they should all get together and sue and be like you know what you could have resolve this situation more amicably like we understand lawsuits come up or whatever. But because you drag this out and you got ridiculous. And you're on tape. I mean like they're talking in the town that the police force might be you know they're not investigating the police force. People were asking for it at the meetings because of the way that this whole situation was handled and how underhanded it was. Oh yeah. Yeah. I mean this is just this is ridiculous. I would I would be pissed. I'd be like you know what? I want you to compensate me for some

12:23lost sales because you guys acted like assholes. Mm hmm. And so it does sound like they still do. Okay. So you're giving them a percentage. They do own the store in some level by the sounds of it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And then come in and take your legos. I have no other options. If corporate ones have come and take over my store I don't care anymore. So that's why he changed it. But if this store is successful then all of the other stores might follow. And so we're all. They're not going to fall because they're going to shut it down. And yeah. If this is successful then all the other stores might follow suit. And then I don't know what that would mean for bricks and mini-figs. But I don't know. Hopefully that would teach them a lesson I guess to not still have both people. See, yeah. But here's a thing. Oh, we got. Okay. So this is this is this is the thing though. Like again, I don't know the specifics of their franchise agreement because of various from company to company, right? But the fact that he's doing this and basically putting a call out there for everybody to ditch bricks and mini-figs he might wind up in another lawsuit

13:24because they might be like this is like torsious interference or you're trying to poach our people or you know I'm saying like. So again, you know kids got a huge pair of balls but he definitely is putting the reckless and reckless bend because I don't know where this is because this is different than like okay we're going to figure this out whatever this is like I am going to actively you're saying publicly that you're going to facilitate the destruction of their business by using their own businesses by yeah by poaching their franchises. And it's like out of the world leaves them but oh well. It does sound like since they can come in and take over the buildings it does sound like they that's not just your paying the $500 for the name it sounds like they are invested in some way because they if they can come over take over your store. Yeah it might be that they share I again I don't know specifics of it I'm sure people have watched the 150 hour drama that I literally don't have that much time in my life to follow. They can probably correct us but most franchises like you have to buy maybe as they have to buy

14:25their inventory from the corporate because that is what like McDonald's basically you have to pay them a mortgage or pay them rent on the land that they own and then you have to buy all your supplies from McDonald's people you got to use air ice cream machine. I don't know it's just a bit I don't know how they come back from this the only way bricks and mini-figs is get because they're toxic they're radioactive at this point they would have to change the name of their franchise because I think everybody like a simple Google search is going to bring up all this drama but again they might be able to go back on him and be like you are trying to destroy our business. That's what he's going to have. What I think is going to happen is this store is going to get taken over they're going to come down and shut it down real fast. They're going to make an example of it and take it you know do what they have to do and then they're going to go after him with another lawsuit because of the whole situation. All right so yeah if we go back to the article BAM promises swift decisive action. Okay so this is this is after that okay so yeah. After this okay so ours actually.

15:27That's what we looked at all before we recorded this. We probably should have but that's okay you know we're responding. We're responding in real time. We're responding in real time. Look if we were live streaming it'd be the same thing. True. Actually it would be because you don't have time to go back and like whatever. BAM promises swift decide. What if your drive was fueled with more like more protection for more time on the road. Shelby Power Nitro Plus provides more protection for longer lasting engines. So it helps keep your engine running like new for whatever drive is ahead. Shelby Power Nitro Plus. Engine performance that lasts. Compared to minimum detergent gasoline with continuous use of Shelby Power Nitro Plus and gasoline direct injection engines. Actual effects and benefits may vary. See shell.us-more-protection for more information. That's the action okay hours after the opening BAM Marketing Director Caitlin Fagan sent a message to franchisees through the companies like acknowledging that reckless bricks was operating from the former southeast Tucson location. Corporate is taking swift decisive and appropriate action in

16:27response. According to BAM's report. The BAM MAPs report. She also apologizes for any blowback the opening could create for franchisees. Said might bring renewed attention and negativity to the brand. The blowback is already hit. They're already like they're doing this because they're desperate because the blowback has been negatively impacting the franchise franchisees this entire time. In a separate operations channel franchise owners questioned whether the store was real or publicity stump. One owner asked if the development met mediation with Bennett gone badly. While another noted that the location had reportedly record sales through BAM's patron system as recently as September 10th. So they're using the system so they were a yeah they wouldn't be an access to that. I don't know I mean that was the store before I think he took it over. Right but that's only like a couple of days before so they were a real location at least until a couple of days ago. BAM is not publicly explained what action it tends to take. Oh I know what they're going to do. It's public store locator also

17:28continued listening the addresses. Bricks and many figs southeast Tucson as of Saturday, even as the new reckless brick store welcome customers. Ben's anti-slap motion in the ongoing lawsuit is due September 18th with mediation also scheduled for the coming week. I don't know if this is going to help the week for mediation. I wouldn't have if it were me but I am not reckless Ben. I am cautious neon. No I'll tell you I'm old as fucking on and you know we've been in multiple lawsuits over the many years that we've been doing different things and I know how these things go and like I said sometimes what seems moral and just and right is not how the courts see it or how the judge sees it and even if you think you have a slam dunk case it doesn't mean you know it's going to go your way right and if you give them ammo and I think this is going to give them ammo I don't know how it's going to go. That just might lose any of our cases. No we've never lost a case. I'm just saying

18:30it's tiresome and expensive and sometimes even if we are in the right 100% and it was a slam dunk case I only want to go there because I don't want to deal with the headache because I'm old and I'm tired and I'm sick of this shit and I'm sick of people's bullshit and usually people that jump to lawsuits like I just side note here that that is their defense for everything a lot of times they want to blow themselves up anyway because they're just not very smart and they piss with the wrong person right so if it's not reckless Ben I think just bricks and minifigs the the way that they do business if it's not him it's going to be somebody else and they're going to blow themselves up because they apparently cannot keep their mouths shut. I mean obviously they were going to do something but first I was confused I was like do they they allowed to just get out like that they pay for everything they only have to pay like the licensing thing but then yeah it seems like there's a lot more involvement in that so I don't know how they're getting away with this apparently they're not. Yeah we'll see we'll see this get some popcorn then the mediation yeah it's going to be

19:31really interesting I said a few days we'll see we'll see how that goes we get wrapped this up. Yeah. Police subscribe we'll talk later. Bye. This episode is brought to you by SoFi the everything app for smarter money banking investing, borrowing and more. Make your first move with SoFi Ticking and Savings. Earn up to 3.80% savings APY for up to six months. No account fees. Plus a cash bonus up to $400 when you sign up with eligible direct deposit. Terms apply. SoFi.com slash smart money. SoFi get your money right. SoFi Ticking and Savings is offered through SoFi bank in a member FDIC. There's a fire inside you you can't ignore. Stand still not a chance. You're a lifelong learner who's come this far. Now we are here to help you keep going further. Capella University. What can't you do? Visit Capella.edu to learn more.