The Scott family enjoys a storefront hobby selling Legos, collectibles

When a small store off Cedar Hills Boulevard went up for sale, Lynnette Scott knew it would be a good investment.

It wasn’t just market research that told her a store specializing in only LEGO sets and collectible models would be a sound business bet — she knew that despite it being a franchise, Bricks & Minifigs would make the perfect family business, at least in her case.

For nearly nine years, Lynnette has seen her son Trevor, 11, become a “master builder” in the medium of LEGOs. She and her husband Jeff now classify themselves as LEGO enthusiasts, having watched Trevor construct elaborate models. Star Wars is his favorite, said Lynnette, but Trevor also shows his creativity through “free builds,” creating space crafts and other designs she describes as “intense.”

“Lately his imagination and creativity and the design he does has just been incredible,” Lynnette said.

Classic building blocks

Most recently, she was amazed to see Trevor construct from memory an elaborate four-stage obstacle course from the popular TV show “American Ninja Warrior.”

That pretty much describes the current state of LEGOs: They are still the classic building blocks they always were, allowing children to click together almost any creation they can conceive of. But in recent years, the LEGO company has overtaken another corner of the market: models.

LEGO now offers kits for everything from dollhouses to sweeping Harry Potter-inspired landscapes. Far from the plain, primary colored bricks LEGO started out with, these sets are intricately detailed with theme-specific pieces and specialized figurines based on popular movie characters. At the Scotts’ store, you’ll find Lord of the Rings kits, Marvel superhero kits, and — among the most coveted — the aforementioned Star Wars kits.

The models vary in difficulty level. Take, for example, the Star Wars Star Destroyer set, which Jeff and Trevor plan to build together. It consists of more than 3,000 pieces. So it’s little wonder that many of these models are something of collector’s pieces, with enthusiasts trading in or selling complicated models.

Miniature figures

Bricks & Minifigs has an entire display case full of completed models for sale, most for only a fraction more than what they would cost new and unconstructed in the box.

As these sets have become more popular, so, too, have the other unique aspect of the Scotts’ business: miniature figurines.

Typically, these small characters can only be bought in a model set, but as its name suggests, Bricks & Minifigs offers figurines for sale individually. At the Scotts’ store, there is a case of recognizable cartoon, comic book and movie characters in tiny LEGO form, and a bulk table gives LEGO enthusiasts the chance to construct their own “generic” figures out of individual pieces.

For more old-school LEGO fans, though, there is a bulk table, where hundreds of unsorted LEGO pieces can be picked through.

Support crew

Meanwhile, the Scotts haven’t quit their day jobs: Lynnette is a substitute teacher in the Beaverton School District, and Jeff is an engineer at Oracle.

With the help of dependable part-time employees, they keep the store open seven days a week as they explore its potential at the new location. Now, with nearly an extra 1,000 square feet to work with, the Scotts look forward to expanding their inventory and converting a large room in back to an events space for birthday parties and classes — LEGO robotics 101, anyone?

Thanks to the move, the Scotts have seen a healthy increase in traffic. When they acquired the business — a process that began last April — the Scotts knew a move to the more heavily trafficked location at Southwest 117th Avenue was in order. They opened their doors there at the end of July, and will have their grand opening celebration on Saturday and Sunday during business hours.

Bricks & Minifigs is located at 3861 S.W. 117th Ave. More information is available at facebook.com/bambeaverton.