Sometimes, a flash of brilliance is all it takes to make you a millionaire. In 1975, advertising executive Gary Dahl was in a bar drinking with his buddies, listening to them complain about their pets. He then joked about how he had the idea for a perfect pet: A rock. It wouldn’t require feeding, bathing, walking or grooming.
It was all a good laugh, but Gary took it seriously, and started collecting the rocks from Rosarito Beach in Mexico, known for their smooth stones. The real product, however, was a 32 page instruction manual that treated the rock as a live pet, with instructions on pet care, grooming and fun puns.
The packaging also came with straw and breathing holes, making the entire experience a fun one.
Pet Rock Revenue
Even though the fad lasted less than a year, peaking at Christmas, Dahl eventually sold 1.5 million units at $4 each, making him a millionaire, after expenses.
Over time, he tried reviving the pet rock, and some other initiatives such as a Sand Breeding Kit, using a male and female vial of sand that could be mated to produce cat litter, landfills and even deserts. Or Red China Dirt, an attempt to smuggle the entirety of China into the US. However, he never could replicate the success of Pet Rock.
Gary Dahl died in March of 2015, age 78.
You can still buy Pet Rock from Amazon here.
This was such an entertaining and educational post! My husband and I laugh about those pet rocks from the 70s all the time. I never thought to look into the story behind them! Thanks for sharing. I really enjoyed it!
Haha, Thanks Chrissy. I love getting behind to the backstories of interesting events like these, and they are often more interesting than the main event! =)