Hammond’s Books & Music

Great little book shop.

I like this store! Cherokee Street businesses have funny days and hours of operation. I’ve made a trip there when ²⁄₃ of the stores were closed.
I recently made it to Hammond’s Books for the first time in several years. I’d forgotten exactly where it was on the street, and I passed it as I drove by — the business name on the awning might not catch your eye until it is too late. It looks a little different inside — perhaps cleaner, or perhaps just a little cuter. This is what I picture when I think of a used bookstore. It’s the most Neverending Story-​like bookstore in St. Louis. It feels like Hammond’s must have the same number of books as Dunaway, but crammed into a smaller space, which is kind of cool for the non-​claustrophobic.
You can search their website for detailed information on their holdings, but be sure to call before stopping by, as they use several places for storage and the book (s) you want might be off-​site.
The vintage novel I wanted was not off-​site, however, so that was lucky. I think the paperback was something like $ 5.00 and it had the coolest, most dated cover art.
The employees were very nice. You really get the feeling that their employees know and love their books. The woman who helped me mentioned that she’d recently read a book by my author, who was popular a half-​century ago and is largely forgotten by the Oprah’s-only reading public these days. Turns out I’d just read the same book. It was truly refreshing to have a brief exchange about how good it was. I normally don’t get that kind of connection with people over the books I read because I don’t meet people who have read them. I don’t read books to connect with other readers, but when it happens, it’s kind of nice. I saw no signs of a cat, though. Thanks, Hammond’s!

A week ago, just on a whim, I decided to go to Cherokee Street and look at the different antique stores and see what’s there since it had been so long since I was there.
I had heard about Hammond’s bookstore and saw several things online about it and checked out their website. Partly going to Cherokee Street was to check out the store.
I liked it. there are books of almost every subject and it’s in a small little former residence on Cherokee street. Some of the aisles are narrow, but since I’m short and small, I could meander through them pretty easily but carefully. They have books everywhere. Upstairs has just as many books if not more than downstairs.
I found a copy of Joseph Heller’s «Good as Gold» which was published when I was in high school and wanted to buy and read but never did. I have it now because I went to Hammond’s and that pleased me. I want to go back soon because I really liked it and didn’t have enough time to go through everything they had. It’s really a good place for those who like to read and bibliophiles in general.
It would be nicer if they had a bookstore cat there, too, to play with.

Open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. But available by phone more often than that. Also, they have prompt e-​mail service. If they don’t have the book on hand, they can get it for you. They are great at searches and mailing all over. The music creates a great ambiance and you never know what you might find.

I agree, my 1996 self says that Hammond’s is tha bomb. Basically, Hammond’s is a big old house that is full of books! And I mean full, as in you have to move slowly for fear of knocking over a big stack. Every room is floor to ceiling and more. If I recall, the first floor is divided into sections for non-​fiction types and the upstairs is all fiction. The fiction ranges from romance novels to full-​on lit-​ra-​chure.
I bought some Poe and Plato and I’m pleased. A great place for bibliophiles to spend a rainy afternoon.

Hammond’s is nice because you can call ahead and leave a message about what you are looking for, giving them time to look into it and even pull the book you are looking for if they have it. That alone is impressive.
The staff is very friendly, and even though they aren’t open everyday and do have limited hours, you are still bound to find what you are looking for. Rather than a treasure hunt like some old book stores, Hammond’s is an efficient shop that enables customers to quickly find what they need.