Social media is fun stuff. Regional social media is even more fun stuff. Through the concepts of retweets and shares and word-of-mouth, you never know what you’re going to find or who you’re even following some times.

I had been following a young lady named Molly on twitter for a while now, and I recently came to learn she runs a game and novelty shop, Ta-Da!, in Clifton Park. How did I find this out? Well, Molly tweeted to me that she recognized a friend that I frequently write about on the blog being a customer in her store. The continued conversation led me to find that it’s a store that I and you all would love. In it, she sells a whole bunch of obscure games, fun novelties, and other random toys and gifts. I unfortunately have never found myself in a convenient position to visit Molly, who is now also a friend on facebook, at her Clifton Park store.

Recently, news broke that a second location of Ta-Da! was opening in Stuyvesant Plaza, a mere stones throw from me. I stopped by a few weeks ago, the week of their soft opening, and the young man at the counter gladly sold me a toy and urged me to revisit on October 1 for the store’s true Grand Opening event. The toy I bought was Pokey.

I used to have Gumby and Pokey toys as a kid. Who didn’t, right? Like most of my childhood toys, I have no idea where it went, although I have my suspicions.

I thought that Pokey, being red and black and all, would be a perfect toy to put on my shelf. I also made it a point to mark my calendar for the Grand Opening on October 1.

I arrived at Ta-Da! early in the afternoon, and the store had a decent amount of traffic.

The same young man was at the counter and enthusiastically was demonstrating a magnet game to a customer. I wanted to buy the Gumby that goes with Pokey, so I entered and looked around a little. There were a bunch of new novelties since my last visit.

I did finally make my way to the back of the store, where the Gumby toys reside, but not without trying to play with everything on the way.

When I went to pay, the young man recognized me and we spoke about what he was doing for the grand opening. There was a raffle for a few fun looking bags and books that I, of course, entered. He was giving out Twinkies and bubble gum, both of which I declined because I had just returned from Daniel B.’s FUSSYlittleBLOG Tour de (Cider) Donut. And he let me pick a bracelet out of a bucket. I picked the one I thought was coolest, and it actually fits, not that I’d wear it everywhere or anything.

I also bugged him a little about getting some more The Big Lebowski merchandise. I really do love that movie.

Anyway, now that my Gumby toy set is complete, I’m thinking of other things I want to buy from Ta-Da! They have two Star Wars cookbooks that look like fun, as well as a bunch of practical jokes I can play on people when I see them in person. Decisions. Decisions.

You should stop in and check Ta-Da! out too. If you like to have fun (which is why you come here), you will like this store.