Pet rocks are perhaps one of the funniest holiday fads in American history. The fad hit its height during the Christmas of 1975. It was a short-lived, but nonetheless long-remembered, piece of American nostalgia.
Creator of Pet Rocks
Gary Dahl, a California executive, created pet rocks. He claimed that traditional pets were too high maintenance, and therefore he thought a rock would make the best possible pet. While his friends thought he was insane, he proceeded to package and sell his idea, and it actually worked.
Pet rocks were packaged in cardboard carrying cases, similar to the types that pets at the time were sent home with from the pet store. Inside the carrying case, pet rocks were nestled in straw and came with a “training manual,” a small booklet teaching the owner how to care for the new pet. These packages sold for only $3.95.
As the pets gained popularity, things were added to them. Some were sold with faces on them, and others were sold in groups, a virtual “family” of pet rocks. A Pet Rock Burial at Sea company even started as a result of this fad. This company offered to give your pet a “proper” burial at sea when you were done with it. Read more about these things at http://www.nostalgiacentral.com/pop/petrocks.htm.
An Instant Millionaire
Dahl became a millionaire almost overnight. He made it his goal to make at least one dollar on every Pet Rock sold, and a million of them sold during the Christmas of 1975. As with most holiday fads, after the holidays were over and many parents and children were left staring at nothing more than a rock, the fad died out. Copycats abounded as well, but no one else was able to profit from the short-lived fad quite as much as Dahl himself.
Where Did the Pet Rocks Come From?
Once the trend had come and gone, many wondered where the rocks came from. Dahl used three tons of rock from Rosarita Beach in Mexico to create his line of Pet Rocks. Since the pets had little value as a plaything, most of them ended up in their owners’ backyards.
As with most trends and holiday fads, pet rocks can still be found in gift shops around the country. One company has even packaged a product they call the “Original Pet Rock.” Don’t be fooled, though. The original pet rocks have come and gone, and what you find out there today is a copycat product. That doesn’t stop the kid in us from wanting to own a piece of our history, though. Every so often, a child of the 70s will purchase a Pet Rock for the sentimental value. |
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