The silliest store in Pennsylvania has found a new nest in the heart of Downtown. The Silly Goose, a Jim Thorpe-based shop, specializes in “unapologetic gifts and novelties” — and gained a national following through its Instagram reels. Now, a decidedly whimsical second Silly Goose storefront has opened at 417 Wood Street.
They’re New to Pittsburgh and Silly as a Goose
Owner Nate Treichler, recognizable for his deadpan tours of Jim Thorpe sites as well as endorsements of his shop’s wares, says silliness is an imperfect science.
“I have multiple ranges of humor, ranging from punny to vulgar. I tried to present the quirkiness and deadpan humor that I really like. It’s really just my personality elevated a little bit into this character. The Nate character. Which is me.”
That search for a range of humor also informs what The Silly Goose stocks, Treichler says. “It has to be a functional gift — and funny. If it’s something that you would buy and never use, we’re probably not going to have it in the shop; everything has to be functional in a way, so it’s worth the time and energy you put into getting to our Silly Goose shop.”
Functional Humor
Attire — mostly shirts, caps and socks — fills a wall of the Downtown store. Many of the shirts feature the store’s signature goose in a variety of situations; in one, a goose clutches a baseball bat in his beak, alongside the caption, “Mess With the Honk, You Get the Bonk.” In another, the goose has donned sunglasses and holds a bottle of beer; the shirt reads, “This Silly Goose is on the Loose.”
Elsewhere in the shop, household items mix whimsy and practicality. A set of Dolly Parton kitchen scrubs in the shape of 45 RPM records showcase phrases “I Will Always Scrub You” and “Washin’ 9 to 5.”
Increasingly, the shop’s offerings focus on Pittsburgh. “We’re hand-illustrating a whole line of Pittsburgh-related Silly Goose cross-products,” Treichler says, adding that all of their illustrations are drawn by artists; the shop never uses AI for designs. The Pittsburgh wares will include “everything from puzzles to mugs to stickers to magnets to shirts — postcards, greeting cards, socks.”
An NFL Draft Addition — With the Intention to Stay
The Silly Goose’s move to Pittsburgh came about via the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership’s Project Pop-Up program, timed to bring new businesses Downtown in advance of the NFL Draft.
“My mother-in-law, who grew up in McKees Rocks — she always follows what’s going on in Pittsburgh,” Treichler says. She forwarded him an article about the PDP’s efforts; within days, Treichler was in Pittsburgh, planning for the Silly Goose’s second location.
It was “an offer too good to refuse,” he says. “We have a strong brand — we do well here in Jim Thorpe, and I figured, why not spread some roots elsewhere.”
While the initial agreement was for a 12-month lease on the Wood Street space, Treichler says the team hopes to remain in Pittsburgh. “We’re looking at continuing — and growing roots in Pittsburgh … If you live in Pittsburgh, you live, eat and breathe Pittsburgh. We’re trying to make it so it doesn’t feel corporate; everything is hand illustrated, everything is small, local artists drawing things.”
Silly Stuff, Sensible Prices
Treichler also stresses that The Silly Goose offers its merchandise at affordable prices. Most shirts are $30-35; hats are $20-25.
“I’m pretty frugal. If I don’t see the value in it myself, if I wouldn’t pay that much for it, I usually go under the recommended MSRP from the seller.” He also praises the store’s Pittsburgh-based manager, Cassy Weir. “I couldn’t have picked a better person for the job. She’s super energetic; she takes the initiative; she’s very driven. She likes the humor and she’s just crushing it there.”
That affordability — and the store’s signature silliness — makes The Silly Goose a natural stop for gift buying, particularly for hard-to-please recipients. Everything in the shop, Treichler says, “has to fit that nostalgic, fun, or strange-weird-silly — but still functional.”
Story by Sean Collier
Photo by Star Laliberte