Making It Click: How Brick City & Games Built a Community not just a business

“We didn’t just build a store,” Wilson said. “We built a community — one we think of as family.” -Leslie Wilson

Leslie and Jay Wilson during their opening night in 2023.

By Tom Peterson

Before the awards, before the expansion plans, before the crowds that now fill the shop — they were just kids themselves at a table, snapping LEGO bricks together.

The passion never faded.

So when Jay and Leslie Wilson provided a sneak peek opening in September 2023, we found Max and Griffin Dollarhide sitting side by side, building without hesitation, while others drifted toward a cozy back room filled with games, couches, and the kind of space that invites you to stay awhile.

For Leslie and Jay that moment captured exactly what they hoped to create.

“The vision from the beginning was to create a hub,” Leslie said. “A place where people could come together, play, and feel like they belong.”

That vision has since grown into something much larger than their retail space at 318 E. Second St. — and it recently earned the couple national recognition. Brick City & Games was named runner-up for Hobby Shop of the Year, placing it among the top three independent hobby shops across the United States and Canada.

But the foundation of that success was laid long before the award.

For Leslie, it started in childhood. She remembers picking raspberries and blueberries to earn money — carefully dividing it the way her mother insisted: half to savings, a portion for school clothes, and the rest for LEGO.

“Castles were my favorite,” she said with a smile in 2023. “I always wanted more castles.”

Part of the philosophy was gathering people around toys and games kids and adults love, such as Leslie love of this Lego castle from 1978.

That love carried forward into the store itself, where vintage sets line the shelves — including a beloved 1978 castle she never owned as a child but never forgot.

For Jay, the inspiration was just as personal.

Growing up, he said, he wished for a place like this — somewhere safe, welcoming, and centered around creativity and connection. That idea now lives in the back room of the store, a space designed intentionally for kids to gather, play video games, build LEGO, or simply hang out.

“It’s the kind of space I could have used when I was that age,” he said.

Jay Wilson displays a 1964 Shell Lego Truck. He said the company started with these trucks and switched from Octane to Shell to Exxon and then back to Octane during the early years.

What began as a LEGO-focused store quickly evolved. After acquiring Gameopoly, the Wilsons expanded into video games, trading cards, and tabletop gaming. Today, the shop hosts Magic: The Gathering, Pokémon, Warhammer, and role-playing games throughout the week — often with players teaching one another across generations.

But even as the inventory grew, the mission stayed the same.

“We didn’t just build a store,” Wilson said. “We built a community — one we think of as family.”

That sense of community is visible in the smallest details — from a child proudly assembling a custom mini-figure at the build-your-own counter, to the Wilsons’ efforts to make LEGO more accessible by sourcing thousands of pounds of bricks from across Oregon and Washington.

“Our town needs something else for kids to do,” Jay said early on. “What we’re trying to do is get families back together again and playing again.”

Leslie, a longtime music educator, continues that mission every day inside the store.

“I’m a people person,” she said. “Whether it’s teaching kids how to build, showing someone how to play Magic, or helping someone learn Warhammer — that teaching just continues, just not in a classroom.”

That approach has fueled remarkable growth. In just over two years, Brick City & Games has outgrown its original footprint and is now preparing to expand into a larger location in The Dalles, with hopes of opening by mid-summer.

“We are bursting at the seams,” Wilson said. “We want a place where people can come in any day and just play.”

Their rapid success has been supported in part by guidance from the Small Business Development Center, helping the Wilsons navigate everything from financial projections to long-term planning.

Still, Leslie believes the reason behind their momentum is simple.

“We are so community-focused,” she said.

That focus is what ultimately led to national recognition. Out of tens of thousands of hobby shops, Brick City & Games was selected as one of just three finalists for Hobby Shop of the Year.

“When we got the call, it was affirmation,” Wilson said. “It told us we’re doing what we’re supposed to be doing.”

While the top honor went to a longtime shop in Washington, D.C., the Wilsons say being runner-up — especially so early in their journey — is something they’re deeply proud of.

And they’re celebrating the way they know best: with their community.

On May 15 at 5 p.m., the store will host a celebration featuring a Magic: The Gathering draft, giveaways, and a chance for the community that built Brick City & Games to come together once again.

Because in the end, the story of Brick City & Games isn’t about how fast it grew or how far it’s reached.

It’s about what happens every day inside its walls — where a handful of bricks, a deck of cards, or a shared game can turn strangers into friends.

And where, piece by piece, a community continues to grow.

About TCGplayer:
TCGplayer, which gave this award, is one of the largest online marketplaces for trading card games, including Magic: The Gathering, Pokémon, and Yu-Gi-Oh!. Founded in 2008, the company provides tools and services for hobby shops, collectors, and sellers across the U.S., helping stores manage inventory, sell online, and connect with a global customer base. TCGplayer is widely recognized as a major platform in the tabletop gaming industry and was acquired by eBay in 2022.