Full Moon Records, located on 1104 Front St., is Conway’s first very own dedicated record store. Right down the street from Hendrix College in beautiful downtown Conway, Full Moon Records has been open just shy of four months.
Justin Dunn, the owner of Full Moon Records as well as its sole employee, is a dedicated record collector himself and shows a clear passion for his business and the local community. He can be found manning the checkout counter and listening to records every Monday through Saturday.
Before Full Moon, there was a serious lack of record stores in and around Conway. Those looking for a real record store experience had to make the trek to Little Rock for the closest shops, making Full Moon a godsend for Faulkner County vinyl collectors.
“The only other places in Conway where you can get vinyl are flea markets, and they’re not out to help vinyl,” Dunn said. “They’re just ripping off a bunch of college kids.”
The vinyl resurgence of the last decade has definitely made it to Conway. “It’s kind of hard to stay in stock,” Dunn said, “Usually nothing from the new arrivals makes it into the bins.”
The coveted new arrivals go out on the floor every Saturday, so be sure to stop by early if you don’t want to miss out, but don’t fret if you do. Full Moon has an impressive collection of used LPs and 45s to dig through that is sure to satisfy any music fan, as well as cassettes, CDs and some other accessories. Need a last-minute gift for the audiophile in your life? Go grab a record cleaning kit or band t-shirt from Full Moon. If there’s a specific album or band you’re looking for, Full Moon can probably order it if they don’t already have it. They even buy used vinyl if you’ve got some old records collecting dust in your attic.
While Full Moon currently only takes up a small room in the old dry-cleaner’s building it resides in, Dunn is in the middle of remodeling the rest of the space and has some big plans for the future, including a stage for live music. “I’m trying to get the local people out. Small bands around Arkansas, artists,” Dunn said, “the store’s not just about me it’s about the people.” Having a vibrant hub of local music and art could be a wonderful thing for both for local artists and musicians and for Conway in general.
If you’re on Facebook or Instagram be sure to check out the Full Moon Records page, where Dunn frequently posts updates about new records and gear, like the occasional turntable, before he puts them out for sale.
If you’re interested in vinyl records at all, make sure to check out Full Moon Records. Your money will be much better spent there than at Wal-Mart or Target.