Drowning in Legos? A new shop opening in Wichita in two weeks will buy them back from you

Opening day for a new Lego-focused store in Wichita is a little more than two weeks away. And soon, the owner of the store will do local moms and dads a solid when he starts offering cash for all those extras cluttering up the toy room.

Derek Sorrells — owner of other whimsical Wichita businesses including The Arcade, Papa’s General Store and Sweet ‘n Saucy — recently announced his plans for a new business he’ll call Let’s Go Build. He’s planning to open it on Oct. 7 at Greenwich Place, the shopping center at K-96 and Greenwich that also has Dave & Buster’s, World Market, Saltgrass Steak House and more.

It won’t be an official Lego Store like the one in Oak Park Mall in Overland Park, Sorrells said. But it will be a Lego-authorized reseller and will carry new Lego kits ranging from simple $3 versions to giant $900 Star Wars sets.

The shop’s other purpose, though, will be to serve as a clearinghouse for those wishing to get rid of some of their excess Legos and for those needing to pick up individual pieces to complete massive Lego builds.

Let’s Go Build will be 2684 N. Greenwich Court and in the same strip at Greenwich Place that has Freezing Moo and Albero Bistro. It will have 2,400 square feet and will feature a big room with shelving for new products as well as four large “dump tables” full of random used Legos people can sort through to look for missing pieces they might need.

“Let’s say you’re building your Lego city,” Sorrells said. “We’ll put it all out on large tables, and you’ll be able to buy five or six bushes or a tree, or if you’re missing a fire helmet for your fireman, you’ll be able to buy that.”

Sorrells said that he’ll get the random pieces from a few different sources. He’ll buy some from non-local collectors, he said, but he’ll also have occasional “buy-back” events where people can bring in old Legos they don’t want and get cash or store credit for them.

“For all those people who have Legos their kids are no longer playing with and who don’t want to sell them on eBay or Facebook Marketplace, we will buy those back,” he said.

The first buy-back event will be about a week before the store opens, Sorrells said. He’ll post details on the store’s Facebook page when they’re finalized.

In addition, Let’s Go Build will have a party room people can use for birthday parties and other events, and Sorrells is planning to put on free-play nights as well as building classes with Lego “master builders.” The store will also feature pre-built Lego items that are for sale.

Sorrells said he’s always looking for business ideas that will bring something new and fun to Wichita, and Legos have been one of his favorite toys since childhood. He especially loved space shuttle-themed kits.

“It was fun, and it was an escape,” he said. “Now a lot of us who grew up with Legos want to play with them again.”

Starting Oct. 7, Let’s Go Build’s hours will be 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays.