
The Stone Merchant
Selling nothing for millions to a bored generation
Martin Cole(Author)
epubli (Publisher)
1st Edition
Published on 27. January 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
144 pages
978-3-565-19905-1 (ISBN)
Unfortunately, price unknown
No shipping information available
Description
"The Stone Merchant - Selling nothing for millions to a bored generation" deconstructs the greatest marketing gag in history: The Pet Rock. In 1975, copywriter Gary Dahl became a millionaire by selling a rock in a box with air holes. Critics called it stupid, but this book argues it was a masterpiece of psychological selling.
Marketing expert Martin Cole analyzes Dahl's strategy. He didn't sell a rock; he sold a 32-page instruction manual filled with jokes about training the rock to "sit" and "stay." He sold a shared joke to a cynical post-Vietnam generation. The book breaks down the product packaging, the media blitz, and the scarcity tactics that created the frenzy.
"The Stone Merchant" is a textbook on how value is created entirely in the mind of the consumer. It teaches entrepreneurs that if you can wrap a narrative around a commodity, even a piece of gravel can become a bestseller.
More details
Language
English
Dimensions
Height: 29.7 cm
Width: 21 cm
Weight
452 gr
ISBN-13
978-3-565-19905-1 (9783565199051)
Schweitzer Classification