Over the remainder of the offseason, PhiladelphiaFlyers.com will highlight each of the five Hometown Assistant recipients from the past year.  The Flyers Hometown Assist Program, presented by Wells Fargo, was created as a means to support and promote locally based small businesses in the greater Philadelphia region. The program also provides $100,000 in marketing and advertising assets via the Flyers and Well Fargo.

Located at 19 Bridge St. in New Hope, PA, the True Believers Barber Shop was founded by owner James Shields in 2020. The business has built an ultra-loyal customer base of not just locals but even people who travel from as far as an hour’s drive to New Hope. The vast majority of its business comes via appointments rather than spur-of-the-moment walk-ins.

True Believers is a combination of a classic barber shop — right down to its four vintage barber chairs from the late 19th and early 20th centuries and its hallmark of offering stylish cuts, an old-fashioned shave if desired, and staff forging friendly connections to clients — and a contemporary business. 

A tattoo enthusiast himself, Shields features framed tattoo-inspired representations that decorate the walls of the business. There are also homages to monster movie characters.

Shields told the Bucks County Herald that True Believers was created as a way to honor self-expression and friendships. Shields described his business as :a local haven where all walks of life, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, skin color, tattoos, or beliefs, can come together and get groomed. Everyone is welcome to find sanctuary here.”

In May 2024, Shields spoke with a fellow tattoo aficionado, Flyers Daily podcast host Jason Myrtetus, about the business’s foundation, growth and the unique niche it has built in Bucks County and beyond. A diehard Flyers fan himself, Shields was thrilled to have the opportunity to talk at length with Myrtetus.