Gifts of nature, fantasy, and spirit at Crystal Fantasy

The human soul is difficult to define but impossible to deny. It aligns our body and mind, reconciles our past with our future, and guides us to where we are truly meant to be…

Namely Crystal Fantasy, one of the most transcendent destinations in Palm Springs.

“I really do think that Palm Springs is a magical place,” opines owner Joy Meredith. “I loved it from the moment that I got off the plane,” Joy speaks with a Chicago accent that is simultaneously direct and charming. “My parents lived here, so I came here to visit them, and I never left.”

Memories are like symphonies to Ms. Meredith, who sings them with enthusiasm and frivolity. “I just remember standing at the top of the stairs, and the blue sky was 360 degrees all around, and it was a shade of blue I never saw before, and I just fell in love.”

Joy not only draws inspiration from her surroundings; she fully identifies with the majestic landscape that envelops her. “Look at the wildflowers that will be coming up soon and just the fact that so many plants could live through the trials and tribulations of the summer here and how they just make it through all the difficult times somehow and yet end up blossoming. I think that that is how I feel about myself. You go through a lot of hard things, but somehow, you come out of it with some beautiful blossoms! I think that’s why I love Palm Springs.”

She translates that love into her harmonic vocation: “I was introduced to crystals and a new age way of living, and it just became a part of me! At some point, my husband said something like, ‘My god, you have so many rocks, why don’t you just open a store?’ And so I did!”

Crystal Fantasy Rocks On A Roll

Those rocks are on a roll; Joy’s hobby has grown into a thriving business in the heart of downtown. “Generally, crystal shops are small. We started small in a 500 square foot store, then went to an 1,100, but our space now is 4,800 square feet.”

No, that’s not a typo. Rather, it’s a sprawling spectacle inviting spiritual enthusiasts from Southern California. “At Crystal Fantasy, we offer something that is not only uniquely Palm Springs, but I don’t think it’s really offered anywhere else—ANYwhere else, actually. We have mediums and psychics and crystal healers and reiki healers who are all offering their services for no fee.”

To Joy, every visitor is a beloved client, each as unique as their chosen life path. “I think that what people can expect there is a very personalized service. Y’know, people don’t generally come to our store just because they’re looking for something to match their new couch. They usually come in for a specific, heartfelt reason… We really talk to them a lot about what’s going on in their lives and their needs.”

It’s a clientele as varied as the inventory in Crystal Fantasy. “We have things in the store from $2 to $30,000, so we think that we have a good range and that there’s something for everybody.”

Locally Owned and Loved

So, how does Joy maintain such a bustling yet intimate business? She depends on the kindness of her neighbors. “One of the things I always like to say is that the locals are my bread and butter, and the tourists are the icing on my cake. If you have a strong base of locals who support your business, that is what will carry you through the hard times, the hot times, all the times that the economy gets weak… A tourist may only come here once a year or once maybe in their lifetime, and then next year they’re going to Florida or Paris or wherever, but if you can build a good relationship with locals, that is the basis of our store, for sure. It’s very important to us.”

Sense of Community

Another priority and passion for Joy Meredith is her undying sense of community. When asked about her voluminous affiliations, she takes a deep breath and reels them off joyfully. “I’m president of Main Street Palm Springs, the merchants’ association, and I’ve been on that board since 1992. I am vice president of the Police Advisory Board, a founding member, and I’ve been on that board since 1997. I’m on the Bureau of Tourism board, I’m on the Homelessness Task Force, I am a Villagefest commissioner.”

Joy interrupts herself as she scrolls through the invisible calendar in her mind, quipping, “Sorry, I’m trying to go by what day of the week everything happens. So, I try to be very active in the community because I love this community! I live here; I work here, and my children were born here. My grandchildren and my great grandchildren are all from here, so it’s a lot of fun for me.”

Crystal Fantasy is, indeed, a family business, but it’s hard to see where the perimeter of Joy’s relatives end and her community bonds begin. She embraces Palm Springs with every sentiment, extending her wisdom to fellow entrepreneurs with sage words of advice: “One of our slogans that I try to tell the other merchants is ‘Don’t Compete; Be Unique.’ And that’s the key to it… Just try to offer something that comes from your heart, and that’s always gonna be something different than the next person.”

Asking the impossible, we request a crystallizing final thought from Joy Meredith, and she delivers heartily. “It is an experience. We try to offer an experience that is just an extension of who I am, and I hope the people love that, because I love them.”

Ever pensive, Joy reflects on the words she has just uttered, doubling down on their earnestness. “I don’t know, that might be too mushy, but I really do feel that way.”

And we really do feel the same, mushy or not. Thank you, Joy – Namaste.

Crystal Fantasy  | 268 N. Palm Canyon | 760.322.7799

By Kevin Perry