The Pet Rock was a fad in 1975 that was so ridiculous it worked.

These smooth stones imported from Mexico’s Rosario Beach came with not only their own hay “bed,” but they were also presented in a cardboard “pet carrier” box that included a 32-page booklet on how to take care of your “new” pet.

Gary Dahl, the Pet Rock’s “inventor” got this idea (not surprisingly) from a night at a bar with his friends where the conversational topic was complaining about their actual living pets.

Dahl made millions in the short lived success of his “creation.” He ironically purchased the bar that sparked the idea, although several months later that ship too had sailed.

In 2013 the Pet Rock would become available again at small toy stores and the occasional 7-11 when Rosebud Entertainment would buy the rights of the bizarre novelty.