A Review of The HMV Shop (Amsterdam)
Kalverstraat 8, 1012 NX Amsterdam, Netherlands
If we can be honest with one another, the truth is that this isn’t really a bookshop. It’s a media shop. Do they sell books? Yes. A lot of books? Some. More than a few shops I’ve reviewed. Did I buy some books? Hell yes, I did. So that’s good enough for me to call them a bookstore too.
HMV stands for “His Master’s Voice,” a nod to the 1898 painting by Francis Barraud of a dog “Nipper” listening to a gramophone, later bought to use as a logo for a gramophone company, which later became RCA, a music and media company. The Nipper dog was their mascot for ages and is also the unofficial mascot of Albany, NY where I live in America, so I felt a bit of a connection. It’s a winding, twisting connection, but I immediately felt it when I walked into the shop and spotted half the back room dedicated to books.
They didn’t just have music books. It was a fair mix of literature (general, horror, crime, mystery, etc.) and nonfiction that had some sort of pop culture connection, be it film, music, memoirs and biographies of entertainers, or what I bought, two books of essays by British actor and humorist David Mitchell, of Peep Show and Ludwig fame. Both books for a total of 11 euros. A real steal. Most of the books there were just as discounted, but were by no means throwaways or unwanted. This section was as much current and interesting as the rest of the shop, the vinyl section, the CDs and DVDs, the music thrumming overhead, the extremely friendly staff, the feeling that I could have been in London or New York or LA, but no, beautiful downtown Amsterdam, buying books by one of my favorite Brits on my last day in Europe on my recent trip. Why not?
Books are books wherever you find them, and of this quality, at these prices? Get me to thy bookshop, Amsterdam.
Atmosphere — A media shop bustling with movies, albums, books, and clothes, with black shelving and simple black tables displayed throughout. Nothing stodgy, nothing flashy, just a clean, minimalist media experience.
Quality — The books were mostly paperbacks, all in good shape, and certainly those that didn’t sell elsewhere but are current editions of modern lit and culturally relevant books.
Quantity — Half a room, but plenty to offer in that space.
Diversity — Mostly novels (general lit, horror, mystery, etc.) and nonfiction that is relevant to current media, be it music, movies, humor, etc. Loads of gifts, hats, clothes, exactly what you think a “pop shop” would be.
Affordability — The books were all discounted and at great prices.
Amenities — No café or lounge, per se, but plenty of other media selections to sift through.
Location — Right by the big plaza in front of De Dan, around the corner from the giant Madame Tussauds in Amsterdam.
Customer Service — The staff were very friendly and spoke perfect English.
Overall — This shop is more about music, movies, and clothes than books, but I’m delighted with the books they had on hand and they had enough to make any book browser want to pop in, if only for a quick visit on your way to bigger bookshops nearby.
