The Pet Rock Craze

The economy may not have been doing so well in 1975, but that didn’t stop thousands of people from spending $5.00 ($10.09 in today’s money) on a totally useless present called the Pet Rock.

The product essentially consisted of a small stone resting in a bed of straw in a box resembling those which animal shelters give to folks who adopt cats. Included was a brief booklet on your new pet’s care, plus a heart-rendering account of how many rocks are brutally destroyed each year.

I have to confess that I purchased two Pet Rocks as presents. The first went to Stephanie, an older hippie-type with a great sense of humor. She got quite a kick out of it. Not so for Mike, a pre-med student. He opened the box, removed the rock and placed it on the table. When it didn’t do anything he announced “It’s broken!” Mike’s now a specialist in Internal Medicine.