In 1974, the Pet Rock was the pet to have. It did not need to be fed or walked, was never sick and did not need a litter box. In fact, it came in its own box with air holes, feeding straw and a care and training manual. It was popular, especially in San Jose where it originated. It was the perfect gift for the person who had everything.
The Pet Rock, my favorite fad.
As a side note, much of the packaging was done in at Agnews Development Center in Santa Clara California. The Pet Rock was more than a pet, it also did job training.
Joe LowryI was a child that moved so often, (8 elementary/middle schools) and finally went to to high school in Arroyo Grande California. I ended up at San Jose State University graduating in Chemistry, minor in Biology. Got married, and had two sons. Unfortunately, my wife passed 35 years later. I worked initially in the pharmaceutical industry. After being down-sized, I ended up in the aerospace field, working on satellites. I still live in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Tags:
Pet rock, fads
Characterizations:
funny, right on!
Thanx Joe, but I’ll keep my pussycat!
My girl friend is keeping her cat too. My son, who lives with me is also keeping his cat.
Good Joe, 2 pet cats are better than 2 Pet Rocks!
Yes! A memorable fad, Joe.
Hey, great RetroFlash, Joe! You nailed the 100 word format perfectly! And thanks for reminding us of that crazy fad. I love the picture of the box with air holes, and the little nest for the rock to sleep in. Now I’m sorry I never had one.
I remember those, Joe. Wish I could have had my kids be satisfied with pet rocks, but they insisted on the real thing — lots of real things, actually.
Thanks for the memory, Joe. Fascinating that the folks at Agnews did the packaging. I had no idea. I live in the Rivermark development, part of the Agnews land that the state sold off 20 years ago.
Perfect RetroFlash, Joe…so glad you gave it a shot and hope you enjoyed it writing it as much as I did reading it! You gotta hand it to the Pet Rock originator, Gary Dahl…an ad exec who knew what he was doing. Brilliant marketing…and deceptively simple. It’s one thing to have an idea, another to market it into a trend many of us bought into and one we all remember. Great story, thanks!