Brick Wars Joins the Shopify Family

When I first started Brick Wars back in 2020, it was more of a passion project. I wasn’t a well-known MOC designer (not that I’m super well-known today), and I didn’t need a robust shopping cart at the time. Brick Wars v1.0 got the job done, but it wasn’t without its frustrations.

I custom-built version 1.0 to showcase my designs, but I didn’t have the technical knowledge to build a “bulletproof” shopping cart that could meet all my needs. After releasing MOC-BW4001, I knew that before designing another MOC, I needed to focus on upgrading the site.

Problems with v1.0

In version 1.0, I relied heavily on simple Buy Now buttons from PayPal® and their basic cart system. Flat-rate shipping was all I could offer, and there was no way to combine multiple orders for better shipping rates. I also had to depend on customers to select the correct shipping option—something that often didn’t happen.

Roughly 50% of Brick Wars orders come from outside the United States, and when international buyers selected domestic shipping, they were undercharged. This led to confusion and frustration on both ends. I’ve always believed that having a smooth buying experience is just as important as having a great building experience.

International orders added another layer of complexity—declaring goods and services, managing duties and tariffs, and dealing with inconsistent translations. While Google Chrome’s translation tools helped, they weren’t perfect; sometimes the meaning on my website literally got lost in translation.

On top of that, I didn’t have an efficient system for tracking orders and deliveries. I relied mostly on an Excel spreadsheet and PayPal to stay organized. That meant manually sending tracking numbers, parts lists, and support guides to customers—often one by one.

Shopify to the Rescue

I considered several platforms—Wix, BigCommerce, and Shopify. In simple terms, Wix was too basic, and BigCommerce was too much for what I needed. Shopify hit the sweet spot. It offered the right balance of cost, flexibility, and features—especially for supporting my growing international audience.

My hope is that returning customers from my original site will find the new Shopify-powered BrickWars.net a much smoother experience. Checkout, order tracking, and file transfers (like parts lists) are now centralized, automated, and easy to use.

Why Mention All This?

Besides being a custom MOC designer, I’m also a husband and father to two amazing kids—and I work full time. While it’s good to stay busy, it was becoming difficult to keep up with all the friction caused by the old website while also making time for my family. Moving to Shopify means I can focus more on what brings me joy—designing MOCs and supporting the community of builders who love this hobby as much as I do.

So What’s Next?

I love LEGO® and I love supporting the community of independent creators. You might find me sharing posts about some of my favorite designers like Jürgen Wittner and Mirko Soppelsa, or giving you a behind-the-scenes look at my own builds—both the ones that worked and the ones that didn’t.

I haven’t decided exactly how I’ll use this blog yet—but I know I want to. For those curious enough to read this post, yes—I’m already working on new ideas, and I can’t wait to share them when they’re a little further along.