War Bricks
Where history and fun meet
The Dryden kids — David, Daniel and Emilie — love history, and like most kids, they also enjoy building LEGO sets. So they were thrilled to discover COBI, a European company that’s similar to LEGO. The company designs and sells building sets that have a historical twist. COBI introduced the Dryden kids to building sets for tanks, airplanes, Jeeps and World War II vehicles, as well as modern aircraft, battleships and historical architecture.
“Every single birthday and Christmas from then on they wanted kits from COBI,” their mother, Karine, says.
Those COBI sets, which bring history to life, have since sparked a thriving family business. It all started with a homeschool experiment that Karine and her husband, William, hoped would teach their children about business.
“We wanted to teach the kids the value of hard work and how to be good citizens,” Karine says.
In 2020, just before the Covid shutdown, the Drydens launched War Bricks, a company designed to resell COBI building sets. The first year was challenging, but every year since, the business has grown.
“We started this in a spare room in our basement then it took over our whole basement and then we moved it to the garage, and it took over the garage. It just started getting bigger and bigger,” says Emilie, 12.
Now, the Drydens work out of a warehouse and retail space off 80th Street West. Their hours vary, but with a phone call, the Drydens are happy to open their doors for customers. Inside the store is an impressive inventory of building sets that range from WWI’s Red Baron and Sopwith Camel to F-18 and F-22 fighter jets. Sets also include almost every battleship and tank that’s been produced since WWII, including the USS Missouri, which has 2,655 pieces, and the Tiger 131 Tank, which has more than 8,000 pieces. COBI also offers Airforce One, NASA’s space shuttle and Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner.
“It’s not in competition with LEGO because LEGO doesn’t do any military or war-related sets,” Karine says.
David, Daniel and Emily spend their free time building sets for the store, so customers can see what the sets look like before buying them.
“People are always surprised at the quality,” Karine says.
COBI bricks are compatible with LEGO bricks and are highly collectible among history buffs and brick builders alike. The price point compares to LEGO, with most sets averaging about $60-$80. The larger sets, like the 8,000-piece Tiger 131 Tank, can run up to $650. The little Cessna is $20, and mini sets are about $12. All the sets are officially licensed, and War Bricks sells more than 300 different sets.
Daniel, 15, is the IT guy and maintains the company’s computer system. David, 16, handles most of the marketing and social media promotion, and they all pitch in on shipping, which demands the most time. More than 95 percent of War Bricks sales are online.
“We really learned as we went,” Karine says. “I was completely clueless about retail, but it’s been good and it’s growing.”
The Drydens learned the ins and outs of business together as they went.
“There’s a lot more to running a business than buying and selling,” David says.
Rapid growth has been their greatest challenge to date, but Karine says it turned out to be a blessing when her husband left his job.
“This hobby business became our bread and butter and is putting food on the table and paying the bills,” Karine says.
In addition to online sales and their retail space, the Drydens also set up pop-up shops at airshows, homeschool fairs and other conventions that fit with their business plan.
“We also want to reach locals here in Billings,” Karine says. “We want to have a place where people can come and see the sets built and how well-built and good quality they are.”
In the past, they’ve held “Bricks and Coffee” meetups to get COBI fans together to talk bricks and history. They hope to start regular gatherings since they have a comfy space and their store is ready for War Bricks fans.
“We love hospitality, and we enjoy it when people come here and enjoy the place,” Karine says.
What started out as a homeschool experiment certainly provided a learning experience for David, Daniel and Emilie. David is taking classes at MSU-Billings and plans on a career in the military or law enforcement.
“I’ve learned business skills from this and that’s always going to be an option for me in the future,” David says.
Daniel and Emily say they’ve learned the value of teamwork, organization and good customer service.
“We wanted to teach our kids to work, and they got it. It’s truly a family business and we all work hard at it,” Karine says.
While the Dryden kids do work at War Bricks, their focus, at their parents’ insistence, is still their education. School comes first, War Bricks is second.
“I don’t have to keep them busy,” Karine says. “They keep themselves busy, and they have time for school and pursuing the things they love.”
CHECK IT OUT: www.warbricks.com
