Pet Rock
Pet Rock was a collectible conceived in 1975, by advertising executive Gary Dahl.
In April 1975, Gary Dahl was in a bar (which is now Beauregard Vineyards Tasting room in Bonny Doon) listening to his friends complain about their pets. This gave Dahl the idea for the perfect "pet": a rock. A rock would not need to be fed, walked, bathed, or groomed; and would not die, become sick, or be disobedient. Dahl said they were to be the perfect pets, and joked about it with his friends. Dahl took the idea seriously, and drafted an "instruction manual" for a pet rock. The manual was full of puns, gags and plays on words that referred to the rock as an actual pet.