Update:

Excellent news Canberra, The Green Shed has advised that this years Giant Lego Charity Sale raised an enormous $86,300 with all the funds going to local charity Roundabout Canberra.

From the way their dedicated volunteers sorted through the mass amounts of coloured bricks, to their community outreach and hosting the evening, The Green Shed said the whole process was a breeze. The team says they were so impressed they have decided to collaborate with Roundabout in all their future Lego Sales.

What do Batman, Scooby-Doo, and trains from the 1980s have in common? They will all be up for grabs at this year’s Giant Charity Lego Sale hosted by The Green Shed at Albert Hall later this month, Wednesday 30 November.

Returning after a two-year hiatus, The Green Shed owner, Charlie Bigg-Wither, estimates the collection has grown to an enormous two tonnes. This year’s chosen charity to benefit from the sale is Roundabout Canberra, which is committed to giving kids in our region the best start in life through its program of reusing and recycling baby and children’s items.

Charlie held the first charity Lego sale in 2019, after his collection had grown so out of control it was overcrowding his already colourful home lined with building bricks. He started collecting Lego after the birth of his first daughter in 1993, but she wasn’t interested. Then when he and his partner, Sandie Parkes, took over the Shed in 2010, it was kicked into overdrive.

“I have Lego staircases! My whole house is full of Lego, I don’t need any more,” he smiles.

Rather than take it to the Shed, he thought it would be put to much better use if it was sold and the funds raised went to help others in our region. Charlie knew just the organisation to help after his daughter had a serious accident and needed an extended recovery; the funds were donated to the Canberra Hospital Foundation.

“The first day we were making over $300 a minute! We actually did it at the Shed in the middle of summer, it was 45 degrees and people still wanted to come,” he says.

The next sale saw a new venue and charity, Oz Harvest. For the first two events, Charlie sorted all the Lego as it came through The Green Shed doors. Any new Shed staff are told during induction that all Lego gets put aside for the charity sale, otherwise, any the toy bricks either end up spread across the Shed’s floor, in someone’s bag, or in a child’s pocket – and he would much rather they help a good cause.

“A lot of these new sets people drop off, they get it for Christmas or they don’t want their kids to handle it; unwanted gifts,” Charlie says.

At the last count, there were 500 sets in boxes. Opened sets are checked to see if all the pieces seem to be there, while many are still sealed, waiting for a new home. Boxes have been priced relative to their condition and their value according to Lego’s own online marketplace, Bricklink.

On the day of the charity sale, loose bricks and their accessories will be tipped into shell pools for people to rummage through, selling at just $30 per kilogram. Organisers have tried to ensure goodies are scattered throughout, including mini figures that are not being sold separately.

“Everybody has an equal chance of finding something cool. Because otherwise, it’s just not fair,” Charlie says.

This year’s mega Lego donation did come with one small catch; Roundabout Canberra was tasked with sorting through the 250 tubs and 500 boxed sets, removing anything that is not Lego. They’ve made a few interesting finds, such as a fake dog poo, which got the ladies all laughing, real and fake coins, band-aids and random unrelated toys. One of the volunteer sorters and resident Lego whiz Di Zivkovich has been overseeing many of the sessions and has a few stories to tell.

“The funniest thing is really old toys like from the 1980s clearly and they’re all beheaded and rotted. They’re missing limbs and it just looks like a bit of a war zone in there sometimes,” Di smiles.  

“We’re removing marbles and toy tracks and things like that just so that people can be assured that when they’re bagging up their kilos of Lego on the day, it is all going to be Lego,” says Hannah Andrevski, CEO and founder of Roundabout Canberra.

All the discarded toys are sent to the Toys for Joy run through Big W which sees unwanted playthings recycled into other items. Hannah says they have recently built a relationship with the organisation, connecting through the similarities in their approach to the environment, sustainability, and making the most out of products.

The funding couldn’t come at a better time for the charity, as requests for assistance increase towards the end of the year and start of the next.

“It’s going to allow us to keep meeting the ever-increasing demand for our services, particularly as we move into another year where we know things will be busier,” Hannah says.

From the festive season to back-to-school, the group focuses on providing families with essentials, such as nappies, toiletries, wipes, and school items, many of which are donated by corporate groups.

“Last year we gave out over 200 backpacks, lunch boxes, and drink bottles at the start of the year. We know that will be a very in demand item,” she says.

Although not an enthusiast, Hannah says she finds it therapeutic to connect some blocks, while her husband and son are big Lego fans. She is expecting her husband to make his way down to the sale to try and nab a full set of The Kwick-E-Mart from The Simpsons.

“I have made it very clear to him that he needs to line up like everyone else to get the Lego,” Hannah smiles.

Those seeking the force will be pleased to find what they’re looking for, with lots of full Star Wars sets and items mixed in the tubs. Vintage Lego enthusiasts will be thrilled by trainsets and a lovingly cared-for Fabuland set. There are princesses, pop culture icons like the Beatles, animals a plenty, and piles of loose pieces and figures.

“We have some really cool little minifigs and we’re not going to a huge amount of trouble with [sorting] those – might be worth digging to try and find something cool,” Hannah smiles.

See what treasure you can find at the Giant Lego Charity Sale at Albert Hall, Wednesday 30 November from 6pm; facebook.com/events/472208011477427

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