Despite the controversy and personality behind the Toy and Plastic Brick Museum, I really admire the work Dan Brown has put into getting the museum off the ground. I met Dan when he first approached COLTC to create some displays for his museum. Dan's background was in corporate salvaging. Up until then, Dan had been collecting retired LEGO models used in various LEGO stores & roadshows. The LEGO group sold Dan many broken models, and with Dan's love for the hobby, he hired several individuals to help restore them.
Dan had also bought a retired school building in Bellaire, OH -- he's spent hundreds of thousands of dollars (and the last few years) bringing the museum up to code; and hundreds more making it all legit both with local authorities & with TLG.
As an observer, I've thought that several of Dan's ideas & approaches with regards to the LEGO community has been bass-ackwards. Then again, Dan was running a business, not mayor of a community. But even from a business perspective, his approach seems unpolished and a little bite-the-hand-that-feeds him. However, his perseverance is paying off... earlier this year, Dan announced Brickshow 2008 on the heals of BrickFair in DC. And without much fanfare, he's release some of the first pictures from it on Flickr. The building is looking better, the rooms/displays look good, the turn-out looks small, but for the most part, it looks like a museum.
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