Pet Rock (1975)

It’s all in the packaging.

Joking with friends over drinks, creator Gary Dahl decided that a Pet Rock was the ideal pet – they’re easy to take care of and don’t make a mess.  Expanding on his idea, he wrote the Pet Rock Training Manual.  The manual was full of jokes and taught owners to train their Pet Rocks to “sit”, “stay”, and “roll over”.  The Pet Rocks came packed in their own pet carrying case – nestled on a bed of straw – and sold for $3.95.

Just a few months later, Dahl was a millionaire.

Did you know?  The rocks used for Pet Rocks came from Rosarita Beach in Mexico.  Do you think they had to be quarantined until you could prove they’d had their shots?