Popular Lego, collectibles store continues growth
The same can be said for the other inventory that packs the walls at Brickhouse Collectibles in Farragut, where the 55-year-old Burnette has sold Legos, comics, collectibles and other assorted items since Aug. 1, 2020.
“Farragut’s growing, man,” he said with a smile. “And I see a lot of the people as they move in. I guess they look around, have kids wanting Legos or comics, so I hear the words ‘new to Knoxville’ a lot. In six years, I still see new faces every day. The growth of Farragut is definitely making a positive impact on business.”
That impact has ebbed and flowed through the years, as Burnette cited a downturn in 2024.
“We definitely move with the economy,” he explained. “This is not a need, but a want. But no one ever really stops buying — they might not buy a $50 set but will buy a $20 set. We had a downturn a couple years ago but it’s definitely come back around in the last 18 months.”
Now, the store is on the cusp of even more growth with Burnette set to move to a larger building in the same parking lot by the middle of 2027.
“We’ll be four times bigger hopefully next year,” he said. “A lot of space for cool stuff that I can find. But it will almost be like starting a brand-new business, so we’ve got the floor plan, laying it out, looking at space for things I carry and things I’ve wanted to add but haven’t been able to yet. All of it will be in the same vein as things in here — stuff I like.”
The Lego aspect — what the store is “built on,” Burnette said, will remain at the forefront, as it distinguishes his store from other similar shops around the area.
There is a pick-a-brick section, where people can fill a gallon with loose Lego bricks for $19.99, a quart for $9.99 or a sandwich bag for $4.99.
“It’s a much cheaper option,” Burnette said. “We sort everything, wash it and people come in and look.”
Beyond the Legos themselves, shelves line the walls with different collectibles and comics. There are even a few Shohei Ohtani bobbleheads on the counter near the front of the store.
“If I don’t have something a customer needs, that’s on me, not them,” Burnette said. “So I’m happy to send them to anyone else that may have it.”
Oftentimes, though, people will come into Burnette’s store and find exactly what they’re looking for. And when they do, the spark of curiosity is lit for children and adults alike.
“I’m happy to be able to facilitate that because I am one of them,” Burnette said. “I think it’s great to have a heartfelt conversation into what they’re thinking and liking.”
For Burnette, that passion began on a military base in Germany in the 1980s.
The child of two U.S. Army officers, Burnette heard a friend discussing Marvel’s famed flaming motorcyclist, Ghost Rider.
That led to an exploration of the X-Men comics, which led him to Wolverine specifically.
“And he’s still one of my favorites,” Burnette noted.
He turned that passion into the ownership a similar store in Maryland with a group of friends in the 1990s, then worked for Scripps and Discovery later in his career.
But when the COVID-19 pandemic brought everything to a stop, Burnette thought back to his childhood. He used a severance package from a previous job to purchase the property in Farragut, wrote up a business plan and opened that August.
Now, even while preparing for the expansion, he is enjoying every moment of this venture — even down to the sorting and filing that must be done before opening the doors.
“It’s kind of what you hoped for,” Burnette said. “It’s a lot of work, don’t get me wrong. But I couldn’t do this much work if it was for someone else. It’s very rewarding to see kids growing up, to kind of have an impact. It’s been everything I hoped for with a lot of hours, but I don’t regret a minute of it.”
