Pet Rock
The Pet Rock "Pet Carrier", which doubled as its packaging | |
| Type | Collectible toy |
|---|---|
| Invented by | Gary Dahl |
| Country | United States |
| Availability | 1975–present |
| Materials | Rock |
Pet Rock is a collectible toy made in 1975 by advertising executive Gary Dahl. They are rocks packaged in custom cardboard boxes[1] complete with ventilation holes and straw bedding imitating a pet carrier.[2]
History
Gary Dahl came up with the idea in a bar while listening to his friends complain about their pets; this gave him the idea for the perfect "pet": a rock.[2] A rock would not need to be fed, walked, bathed, or groomed, and it would not die, become sick, or be disobedient. Dahl said that they were to be the perfect pets and joked about it with his friends before producing Pet Rocks as toys in 1975.[3]
Lacking the capital to launch the product, Dahl recruited George Coakley and John Heagerty, two colleagues, to come on as investors.[4][5] He purchased the actual rocks from Mexican beaches for less than a penny each.[5]
The Pet Rock was introduced in August 1975 at a San Francisco trade show, and Dahl was then swarmed by orders from retailers.[5] The fad lasted about six months, ending after a short increase in sales during the Christmas season of December 1975. Although by February 1976 they were discounted due to lower sales, Dahl sold nearly 1.5 million Pet Rocks for just under $4 each during the initial release, turning 95 cents profit on each unit,[5] and became a millionaire.[6][7][8]
In 2022, the toy company Super Impulse purchased the rights to the Pet Rock, reviving the brand.[9] In the 2020s, Pet Rocks grew in popularity in South Korea as tools for meditation or venting out frustrations. Members of K-pop groups such as Seventeen and Enhypen post about their Pet Rocks online.[10]
A24 produced an official licensed Pet Rock as a tie-in for the film Everything Everywhere All at Once. This version of the Pet Rock has a pair of googly eyes attached in reference to a scene from that film. Also included are the straw bedding and instructions of the original, and a new version of the ventilated box printed with scenery from the film.[11][12][13]
See also
References
- ^ Woo, Elaine (April 1, 2015). "Gary Ross Dahl, originator of '70s Pet Rock sensation, dies at 78". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2015-04-01.
- ^ a b Bathroom Reader's Institution, ed. (September 1999). "The Latest Thing". Uncle John's Legendary Lost Bathroom Reader. Portable Press. p. 373. ISBN 1-879682-74-5.
- ^ Jane and Michael Stern (1992). "Pet Rocks". Encyclopedia of POP Culture. Harper Perennial Press. Retrieved 2015-07-18.
- ^ https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/595180/pet-rock-history
- ^ a b c d Eury, Michael (November 2020). "The Pet Rock". RetroFan. No. 11. p. 10.
- ^ "Pet rock millionaire offers a new method to getting stoned". The Miami News. Associated Press. 1977-02-07. pp. 2A. Archived from the original on 2020-03-02. Retrieved December 18, 2011.
- ^ "Between Pet Rock and a hard place". The Milwaukee Journal. 1988-11-15. pp. 2A. Archived from the original on 2020-03-02. Retrieved December 18, 2011.
- ^ Olson, James Stuart (1999). Historical Dictionary of the 1970s. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 284. ISBN 9780313305436.
- ^ Rousseau, Vivian (2022-10-07). "Super Impulse Earns Official Rights to 20th Century Favorite 'Pet Rock'". The Toy Book. Retrieved 2024-07-26.
- ^ Sohn, Jiyoung (17 March 2024). "Overworked South Koreans Unwind With Pet Rocks—'Like Talking to Your Dog'". Wall Street Journal.
- ^ "A24 is Selling a Pet Rock from 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' to Celebrate Oscar Nominations". Collider. 25 January 2023.
- ^ "Everything Everywhere All at Once Fans Can Now Own an Official A24 Pet Rock". 26 January 2023.
- ^ "Everything Everywhere All at Once Now Selling Official Pet Rocks". 26 January 2023.