The Helping Hands Thrift Shop in Fairmount Indiana

Updated October 6, 2005 URL is www.tentativetimes.net/05fhm/handson.html

2005
James Dean Festival
in Fairmount, Indiana
September 23 – 25 Helping Hands
store brings thrift
to Fairmount, Indiana

Address: North Main Street, downtown Fairmount IN
Hours: Wednesday through Saturday, 10:00 to 4:00
Telephone: 765-948-5473

News of note in 2005: now that the busy women of Fairmount have opened this amazing thrift shop, nobody need go to some big store again. Well, almost. This Helping Hand started out to be a small alcove off the main floor of the former biggest antiques store in Fairmount, but when the donations started rolling in, they filled the entire building. There is even a little cafe in back.

The ladies were the soul of hospitality when I met them at the 50th anniversary James Dean Festival. There are more volunteers, but I met only these three on the night of the James Dean Lookalike contest. A local native American woman was making Indian fry bread and Indian tacos
for sale at the back of the store. She said she wouldn’t be doing that until next year’s Dean festival, but I think she should cater….

Fry bread is better than elephant ears. It’s different, maybe because it isn’t covered in butter, sugar and jam. Mine was the basis for the Indian taco, like what we call a tostado in Indiana, only on fry bread instead of a tortilla. It was more filling than a tostado. This is a super idea for a fund raiser in areas where people will be intrigued by the novelty. I guess I have just led a dull life, not having real fry bread before now.

Go one block north of the traffic light in downtown Fairmount. It’s north of the bank parking lot on Main Street. Get there before Jon and Tony Tucker check out merchandise for their antiques mall across the street! You just never know what you might find. It’s sort of like eBay but live!

This is enough to give you an idea of the scope of the store. They have oodles more merchandise than I picture here.

Here’s a link back to the index for the 2005 James Dean festival

Here’s a link back to the deaners.net index

Here’s CMG’s James Dean website

Jon and Tony Tucker’s Fairmount Antique Mall is unique. They own almost everything in it, they sell on eBay too and they always have time to visit with you in the store. And don’t forget Mom Tucker, who thrives on the antics of her two sons.

Page made in friendship by Sandra Weinhardt, email [email protected]