Pet Rock
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Pet Rocks were a 1970s fad conceived in Los Gatos, California by advertising executive Gary Dahl. The first Pet Rocks were ordinary gray stones bought at a builder's supply store and marketed as if they were live pets. The fad lasted about six months, ending with the Christmas season in December 1975. During its short run, the Pet Rock made Dahl a millionaire.[1]
In 1975, Dahl established Rock Bottom Productions, a company that sold the rocks for US$3.95 each[1]. The stones, imported from Rosarito Beach in Baja California, Mexico, were swaddled in packing material and nestled in a small cardboard box, similar to a pet carrier. A "Pet Rock Training Manual", with instructions on how to properly raise and care for one's newfound pet (notably lacking instructions for feeding), was included. The instruction manual contained several commands that could be taught to the new pet. While "sit" and "stay" were effortless to accomplish, "roll over" usually required extra help from the trainer. "Come" was found to be impossible to teach, but "attack" was fairly easy. The trainers also found that potty-training their pets was rather hard.
[edit] External links
- Super70s.com: Contains more information about the pet rock and other 1970s fads.
- Pet Rock Net: Contains lots of information, among other things on how to care for pet rocks.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Historical Dictionary of the 1970s, James Stuart Olson, Greenwood Publishing Group, 1999, p.284
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