Biz Buzz: ‘Everything is awesome’ at new Lego store
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BIZ BUZZ
IDAHO FALLS
Idaho Falls man has ‘Minifigure Mania,’ and he’s hoping it will spread
IDAHO FALLS – Chandler Christiansen has been collecting Legos since he was 4 years old.
A pirate-themed set in a Christmas catalog captured his imagination, and he spent many hours at his friend’s house playing with Legos.
By the time he got married, he’d amassed quite a collection.
“We were moving for a career I was going into at the time, and my mom said I needed to pick up my Lego collection. My wife thought I had maybe two or three sets. She was surprised when my mom dropped off a 50-pound bag,” Christiansen tells EastIdahoNews.com. “My wife was like, ‘You’re a little more of a Lego fan than I thought.'”
The 30-year-old Idaho Falls man is now preparing for the grand opening of his new Lego store at 938 East Lincoln Road on Sept. 29. It’s called Minifigure Mania.
It’s a place where customers can come to play with and purchase Legos, but the focus is to create your own unique Lego minifigure.
There is a room reserved for birthday parties as well.
So far, Christiansen says customers are excited about the concept.
“People who walk in say there’s nothing like it … and it’s about time that Lego has finally reached eastern Idaho,” he says.
Christiansen says people love Legos for different reasons. For some, it’s the nostalgia of childhood. Others enjoy the pop culture aspect and collecting their own sets. And there are others who enjoy them for their educational value.
It’s the latter category where Christiansen places his emphasis.
He used to work as an elementary teacher and would often find ways to incorporate Legos into the learning process.
He and his wife homeschool their kids, and Christiansen says coming to the Lego shop is part of the daily routine for his daughter.
“The moment she enters my store … she’s instantly addicted to it and can’t get away from it,” Christiansen explains. “When closing time comes, my kids don’t want to leave because they’re having so much fun.”
He enjoys watching his son come up with his own creations.
Allowing children to use their imaginations is an important part of their development, Christiansen says, and he sees his business as an opportunity to foster that.
He’s hoping to incorporate some community workshops for families.
“We’re still trying to figure it out … but maybe we’ll do a design competition and have you build a structurally strong bridge that can withstand a certain amount of weight. Whoever does the most weight wins who-knows-what reward,” says Christiansen.
And if all goes well, he’d love to open a shop in other locations.
But for now, he’s thrilled to bring a store like this to eastern Idaho, and he invites to come and play.
“I’m excited to make this available to everybody around here,” he says. “Please spread the word. Word-of-mouth is the best way of making this known to everybody and making the dream come true.”
Minifigure Mania will be open from noon to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. To make a birthday reservation or learn more, call (208) 757-3703. You can also visit the Facebook page.
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