Michael Richman
Ta-da!
Tell us how Ta-da! started and what inspired you to open a novelty store?
I originally started out working for my father’s store, Pearl Grant Richmans. I put in a little kids’ department there and watched it grow and grow. It was like a reverent novelty department, not just toys, and it sold really well. People kept asking for it, and so we branched out and went to Clifton Park. We opened in Clifton Park Center Mall, and then the old owners of Stuyvesant Plaza called and said, “We love what you’re doing. This is such a cool experience. We don’t have anything like this around here. Would you like to come to Stuyvesant Plaza?” And we said right away, “Where do we sign?”
What’s popular in the toy industry right now?
Squishes – that’s all it is. If you’re not on the computer looking for the next squishy, you’re not doing your job, because these sources dry up as soon as you find them, and then you’ve got to find your next supplier. Everything squishy is buy it and buy it now. If you’re not hoarding inventory, then you’re not winning.
How long do you expect the squish craze to last?
That’s a great question. This has already had greater legs than I thought it would. Do you remember Silly Bandz? They were popular for a hot second. And then you turn around, and they’re not.
The uptick in squishes and NeeDoh’s started last winter. By January, we had already sold out of our Easter order. So how long will it last? I don’t know, but with all the stuff I have on order, it better be a long time.
What’s your favorite thing about owning a novelty shop?
Probably the acquisition of all the goofy stuff we sell. It’s fun to see what will actually sell. In my experience, the goofier, the better.
There’s also never time to be bored. Ever since COVID and product shortages and then shipping issues and tariffs, there’s always something to keep us on our toes. It does seem like all I do is order, but that’s a good problem to have.
What items do you recommend for families?
Board games and card games. They can be multi-generational. You can play with your grandkids; you can play with your grandparents. And the thing is that once you buy them once, you have them forever. It’s not like going to the movie theater; you paid all that money to see it once. You can break out a board game or card game at any time. I don’t think people realize how much bang for your buck you can get out of them.
What items do you recommend for adults?
Our biggest hit for adults is our socks. We have the quirkiest, silliest, sometimes naughty socks. And a big category for adults that we see is our office department. We have a lot of novelty office items like novelty pens to jokingly give your coworkers. Novelty sticky notes and things like that have really taken off.
How do you stay on top of trends and make sure you stock the newest craze?
You have to listen to your customers. Every time someone asks me for a new game or something I haven’t heard of, I immediately Google it. Customers are my biggest test audience. If they’re looking for something, it makes me curious. I would say the internet and word of mouth from people coming into my store help me out the most.
What is an underrated toy or game you highly recommend?
There is a small card game that I take everywhere called Love Letter. It’s a game of deduction. You’re trying to guess who the other players are and try to take them out of the round. You play with a prescribed set of cards, and each card always does the same thing. There’s a finite number of cards, so it’s just a matter of deduction as you play the game.
Do you have a special memory that sticks out to you from over the years?
When we started in Clifton Park, we had two customers come in with their husbands. They were big repeat customers. They really embraced the store and what we are all about. One of the couples had a son who passed away from leukemia, and they started an organization called Nick’s Fight to be Healed Foundation. The proceeds they raise go to support pediatric cancer patients.
One year, they hosted a big pig roast in their backyard, and they invited me, and I donated all the auction prizes. I didn’t meet them until after they started the organization, and for them to bring me into their home and into their lives is moving. It’s really special.
What are your goals for the future of Ta-da?
I’ve heard people say they come to us for retail therapy, so I hope we remain that place for people. We have a fun, irreverent, humorous product mix that we hope continues to speak to people.
August 2026
