One of my all time favorite heroes is Gary Dahl. Gary Dahl, you ask? Yes is my answer. Gary Dahl started a fad in 1975 that made him a millionaire. He created the “Pet Rock”.
This great profit is even more impressive when one takes into account the short time in which the rocks were sold, only six months, and also the low cost of the product, about four dollars. Dahls ingenious marketing involved commonplace gray pebbles, bought from a construction supplier, which were then sold as live pets. The idea was inspired by the hassle, mess, and money that pets such as cats or dogs or fish required. And so, Dahl began the production and sale of the Pet Rock, which did not need to be walked, wouldn’t cost hundreds in vet bills, and would never poop on the floor.
The Pet Rock sold for about $4 ea. It was packaged in a cardboard cage and came with instructions so you could care for and train your pet rock. In the true spirit of the entrepreneur, this success story should remind us that all it takes is that one original idea. Believe it or not, you can still buy pet rocks, that are more colorful and personalized than the original. We also have virtual pets on the internet which is a twist to the original Gary Dahl idea. Gary Dahl is one of my heroes. He made Millions of Dollars in a few months selling individual pieces of gravel. We all have that capability and we live in a country where we can accomplish anything we really want to. If you can conceive it, you can achieve it.
Makes Cents to me
