THE EARLY YEARS
Let's Play Again with Bricks Toys and More LLC. is a family business. But it didn't start as a business model or concept. It rather developed overtime from a childhood desire to a fledgling start up to the Brick and Mortar Store we opened in Gresham OR on 2022.
Back in 2005; as I was working full time with a parcel company, I wanted to find and buy a Star Wars Y-Wing Fighter. This was my dream toy when I was a kid and never had the opportunity to own one. As my income incremented by acquiring a better paid job, so did my ability to acquire more superfluous items. I was browsing eBay and came across the coveted toy. But before I could start buy anything, I had to enlighten my wife that collecting toys was actually a kind of investment, not wasteful spending. I convinced her with the promised that if needed I would sell off my collection. As I perused eBay, I found so many cool toys that I started collecting left and right. My wife accepted my newfound hobby and after a couple years, I started filling our house with toys. My wife, gave me permission to use the extra room that we had to use as storage, which I filled. I collected mostly Star Wars Toys for a few years, later I started collecting other toy lines as well as Lego sets.
A SOLUTION TO A NECESITY
During this earlier years, my son was very impacted by my collection, particularly by the Lego system. He was a bright little boy, but rather shy and mainly non-social. By the age of 3, he was non verbal and someone told me he might be autistic. I was not sure at the time what that meant, but I knew that I couldn't sit idle and let my child to grow up not speaking. I took it upon myself to teach my kid to speak using his beloved Lego. It took me six months of daily and constant repetition; using Lego bricks to build basic structures and vocalizing letters and syllables. After those 6 months, he finally spoke his first words, "I love you daddy, I love you mommy". It was one of the most thrilling days in my life.
After that, something just click in his head and he just ran with it. He is now presently attending his Senior year College bound with college credits already under his belt and a very appealing future ahead of him.
GAME CHANGER
However, my years of collecting came to a screeching hold. The 2008 recession hit home, and I was unemployed in February of 2010. As we faced hard decisions, my wife realized that selling off my toys would be a way the family could make ends meet. So against my desire to keep it all, but keeping my word, I started selling my beloved collection. At first, we just sold Star Wars toys and action figures, but then we began selling Lego. They were fun and kids like them a lot. Soon we found that Lego were a big hit! People love the creativity and versatility of the Lego system. We sold online for a couple of years, and then I had to find a job to be able to move to a new place as our home was being taken by the bank.
As the dust settle from the recession, I was working at a job but felt that it was not my real calling. After restarting to resell with eBay after a couple of years of hiatus, we discovered that having our own business was not just a viable idea, but something that we actually enjoy doing.
OUR VISION AND MISION
We realized that we wanted to increase the impact our company could do to the community in general. As I look at how I wanted to buy a toy that my parents never were able to afford, I feel that I had the opportunity to offer others that treasure they desire without needing to wait years to acquire it. We realized that we needed not only sell great toys online at affordable prices, but also open a local retail store. In this store, we could offer a fun and safe place for everyone, including kids and adults with special needs, to go for learning and connecting. Everyone is welcome to come and peruse, shop around, have a great trip down memory lane, or have a lively discussion about almost anything toy and non-toy related. All the while buying , selling and trading toys that would be treasured by kids of all ages all over the place.
On June 2022 that dream became a reality as we open our Brick and Mortar store in Downtown Gresham. We hope you may visit us and enjoy toys as much as we do.