The perfect pet.

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The first Sunday in September marks National Pet Rock Day each year, this year on September 7. For those who don’t know what they are, what rock have you been hiding under? Not a pet rock for sure. Pet rocks are extraordinary pets adopted by hundreds across the country. You might wonder why someone would keep a rock as a pet. Well, think about it. Rocks don’t need grooming, they don’t require visits to the vet, they don’t eat, never get sick, and, best of all — they never die! Amazing right?

The pet rock was created by advertising executive Gary Dahl in April 1975. Each rock is a smooth stone picked from Mexico’s Rosarito beach. It was sold in a custom-made cardboard box complete with breathing holes and a straw. Die-cutting and manufacturing cardboard boxes represented the biggest production expense for Dahl. The stones were regarded as live pets and were marketed as such.

The inspiration behind this strange creation came from complaints from Dahl’s friends about the stress of caring for their pets. During a discussion in a bar, Dahl joked about keeping a rock as a pet. He emphasized the fact that rocks don’t require walking, feeding, treatment, or other necessities a live pet demands.

Dahl, however, didn’t stop at just wisecracking; he did them one better.

He went on to write a pet rock instruction manual, which included jokes and gags about how to “care” for the rock. The instruction manual was a popular addition to the pet rock itself, showcasing Dahl’s amazing sense of humor. The pet rock fad came to an end after a slight boom in sales during the festive season of 1975.

Gary Dahl made a tidy profit, selling over a million pet rocks before the eventual discontinuation in February 1976. At the time, each rock sold for $4, making it one of the most fascinating marketing schemes ever. If you were to consider the $4 in the context of today’s prices, each person would have to shell out $18 for each pet rock!