Lego Hub To Open Cherry Hill Store

MAPLE SHADE, NJ — A retail chain specializing in aftermarket Lego sales has established its first New Jersey business. Bricks & Minifigs Cherry Hill will hold its grand opening this weekend.

Bricks & Minifigs buys, sells and retrades Legos. Although the business isn't directly affiliated with the Lego group, which manufactures the toys, Bricks & Minifigs has established dozens of locations around North America.

The new store is called Bricks & Minifigs Cherry Hill, but it's actually just outside of the township — at 450 S Lenola Rd., Ste. 1, Maple Shade.

Grand-opening festivities will take place from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday.

"Visit with Lego Masters, receive a Free Custom Minifig, enter a raffle for a free set," the Facebook event page says. "Enjoy food trucks, and facepainting and balloons for the kids!"

Bricks & Minifigs — references to the typical Lego shape and the small, articulated figurines known as minifigures — began as a dream in 2003. David Ortiz, a stay-at-home father with twin boys, thought there should be a safer way for families to buy, sell and trade Lego items.

In 2009, Ortiz met John Mesak, who spent most of his life working in and running big-name retail stores. As it happened, the two men got into a bidding war over a large Lego collection for sale. But instead of fighting, they decided to work together and split the collection.

Ortiz and Mesak opened their first store in 2010, and the company began franchising one year later.