Pet Rocks: The Million Dollar Gag

On the topic of entrepreneurship, I urge any and everyone to understand that successful endeavours come in all shapes and sizes. In particular, Gary Dahl, a 1975 entrepreneur, created and sold Pet Rocks as gimmick items. Gary basically put rocks he collected in boxes, and sold them with a pet manual, detailing how  the rocks are “maintenance free”, and “easy to train”. And what do you know? Retailing at 95 cents a rock, Dahl sold 100,000 rocks a week at one point, eventually becoming a self-made millionaire in the 70s, according to this relic of a people magazine article. The lesson? Sometimes even the most absurd and ridiculous ideas become successful in the business world. As well, you don’t have to sell the practicality of a good. In the case of Pet Rocks, Dahl is essentially selling humour. Only 25% of start-ups may end up a successful undertaking, but don’t underestimate the capability of something as odd as Dahl’s rocks when it comes to consumer purchasing trends. Successful marketers and promoters will tell you, ‘how you promote and brand’ may matter significantly more than ‘what it is you’re selling’.