JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — A national trend of thefts has come to the metro Atlanta area.
LEGO sets are a hot commodity, not just for shoppers and fans, but also thieves.
Stores have reported LEGO larcenies totaling thousands of dollars across the United States.
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Channel 2’s Bryan Mims learned how the brick-stealing bandits have already hit at least two stores in metro Atlanta, where he learned the LEGO sets’ sheer popularity is driving these crimes.
At Bricks and Minifigs, a store where you can get your hands on gobs of LEGO, no crooks have targeted the store.
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But at other Bricks and Minifigs shops in California, at least $100,000 of LEGO toys were stolen in 2024.
Now they’re hitting close to home.
Boxed sets of LEGO from popular movies or character themes can end up costing hundreds of dollars.
This month, someone made off with $1,100 worth of Harry Potter LEGO sets from a Barnes and Noble store in Forsyth County.
“It’s extremely popular, so people would steal it and it would be very easy for them to resell,” Bricks and Minifigs owner Chris Loomis told Chanel 2 Action News.
He said like other hot-ticket merchandise items, the plastic playthings can fetch a quick buck online for a thief.
“Especially if he discounted it a little bit,” Loomis said. “The economy we live in, people are looking for a discount. If you can find it a little bit cheaper, you’ll buy it.”
In the Forsyth County incident, the theft happened around 5:30 p.m. on April 17 at the Barnes & Noble in the Collection shopping area.
A police report said the shoplifter got away with several Harry Potter sets, ranging in price from $130 to $400.
The report says the man left through the emergency exit and sped away.
Dunwoody police told Channel 2 Action News that a recent theft at the Barnes & Noble at Perimeter Mall had someone steal more than $600 in LEGO.
In February, a store just outside Tacoma, Wash. saw thieves haul away $10,000 worth of LEGO from a bookstore and in December, two men from Texas were busted for a multi-state theft ring involving $400,000 worth of stolen LEGO.
“The demand is huge for LEGO. It’s out there, it exists, people want it, people love it,” Loomis said.
He told Channel 2 Action News that a shoplifter can put a stolen LEGO set online and sell it in just a couple of hours.
From Charlotte to Omaha to Los Angeles, stores have fallen victim to these plastic brick bandits. Channel 2 Action News reached out to the LEGO company requesting comment but did not hear back.
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