###The Pet Rock Craze
United States, 1975–1976 — A struggling copywriter became a millionaire simply by packing ordinary beach stones into cardboard boxes and selling them as pets.
In 1975, advertising copywriter Gary Dahl was struggling with bills when he joked to friends that the perfect, mess-free pet was a plain old rock. Instead of leaving it as a joke, Dahl bought a massive load of smooth Mexican beach stones for exactly a penny each.
He placed each stone on a bed of straw inside a cardboard pet carrier complete with air holes. The true genius was his hilarious 32-page training manual, which taught owners how to make their new rock "sit" or "play dead." Dahl launched his gag gift at a San Francisco trade show.
Buyers fully understood the rocks weren't alive, but they happily paid $3.95 just to be in on the joke. The fad exploded through the holiday season before fizzling out by February 1976, leaving stores with tons of unsold stones and making Dahl a very rich man.
The Pet Rock Craze — United States, 1975–1976