DUTCHTOWN (KMOX)--Selling used books online just wasn't personal enough for Brian Cheli and his wife Ellen so they did something about it. Read A Book STL is the newest "shop-around-the-corner" on Meramec Street in Dutchtown selling secondhand books at $5 or less.
"We are a salvage store," Cheli tells KMOX. "That includes all of the furniture, the fixtures, the signs, the graphic design--everything is just found materials."
Cheli has been selling books online for the last 10 years but went full-time 6 years ago. During the height of the pandemic, he found local sales could work when he started selling on Facebook marketplace and did a thousand transactions with just porch pick ups.
"As funny as it might sound, coming from somebody who who until now made their living on Amazon, I'm horrible with computers," said Cheli. "None of this is in inventory. I just have a mental map of what's in here. I just tell people to 'tell me what you're looking for' and I'll take you there."
For the time being, Cheli says he will continue selling online to help pay the expenses for the store and to supplement his income.
"It’s very laid back place," Cheli said. "You can come in here, hang out, put your feet on the coffee table, read a book and don't buy anything; doesn't bother me. I want to I just want to talk to people and learn from people and serve them as best I can which is by providing salvaged books."
But why Dutchtown? In part, the Cheli was drawn to have a shop on Meramac Street because of the thrift oriented business strip that is already in place and the since of community. "This location in particular I really liked because it's between the public pool and the church and the school and there's the Neighborhood Innovation Center and Dutchtown South Community Center," Cheli said. "It's all community oriented things around here. It's the densest neighborhood in the city so we have foot traffic."
Read A Book STL in Dutchtown is open Wednesday through Saturday Noon to 6 and Sundays 9:30 to 3pm.