A spring 2026 WACO High School graduate is turning a childhood hobby into a full-fledged business, opening what he says is Southern Iowa’s only dedicated LEGO buy, sell and trade store this Saturday in downtown Mount Pleasant.
Dapper Bricks, located at 116 North Main Street, opens Saturday, October 17th at noon with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and giveaways planned. Founder Locken Henderson said his passion for LEGO started long before the idea of a storefront ever crossed his mind.
“I’ve always been into LEGO as a kid, building sets and playing with the figures,” Henderson said. “In middle school, I started a LEGO YouTube channel, and at one point I wanted to make it my full-time career, but then I realized I didn’t want my career to depend on having to be creative. So I decided to start reselling, first on eBay and Mercari, then on BrickLink. Now I do BrickLink and Whatnot, and I’m opening the store.”
Henderson said the entrepreneurial spark came from watching others in the reselling community. “In middle school, I saw other people reselling LEGO full-time, and I knew I could do it too.”
One of the biggest early hurdles, he said, wasn’t the business itself — it was his age. “The biggest challenge hasn’t been opening the store, but being young and selling online. Many platforms have age restrictions.”
He signed the building lease about three and a half months ago, and since then the work has been constant. “We’ve renovated, repainted the walls, installed shelves, set up displays, sourced merchandise, and prepared, priced, and displayed it,” Henderson said. Getting enough inventory to fill the space on a budget was another challenge, he added.
The location was never really a question. “I live in Mount Pleasant, and I spent several years in school there. I decided to stay close to home. I wanted to do something cool in Mount Pleasant.”
The community appears to have taken notice. “I’ve had a lot of people looking in the windows, curious about what it is, excited for the opening. I think people are pretty excited for it.”
Customers can expect to find new sets, used sets, retired sets, rare minifigures, bulk bricks and a station to build their own custom minifigures. For those looking to sell or trade their old LEGO, Henderson explained the process: “You bring in your old LEGO. We value the LEGO based on the current market. We then offer you a percentage of that value.”
He said the store fills a gap for local enthusiasts. “Local LEGO fans now have an in-person option to buy LEGO beyond Walmart.”
Saturday’s grand opening will include the ribbon-cutting at noon followed by the store opening to the public. The first 50 customers through the door will receive a coupon for a free build-a-minifigure with purchase, and four of the ten exclusive opening-day Dapper Bricks minifigures will be available.
Regular store hours will be Thursday through Sunday, noon to 8 p.m.
The experience has taught Henderson that running a business is more involved than he anticipated. “I’ve learned that running a business takes much more than just buying and selling.” His advice to other young people thinking about doing the same: “If you turn a hobby into a business, it becomes your job. And while it is very fun to work with LEGO all day, it’s still a job.”
Dapper Bricks can be followed on Instagram at @dapper_bricks and on Facebook at facebook.com/dapperbricksllc. Henderson also documents his personal journey on his Instagram account, @legolocken. More information and store photos are available at dapperbricks.com.
