My Pet Slug

These slugs were purchased back in 1991, although they were originally produced in the mid 1980s. They were made by an artist called Ken Bakeman, who called his company 'My Pet Slug.' A number of retailers stocked them at the time.

Ken made them from woods such as red cedar, pine or walnut, and paints and varnishes them so realistically that they can be hard to tell from the real thing.

At the time you could even send off $5 and get a certificate to prove your membership of the 'slug club.' At the time, Ken wondered if the pet slugs might become the new 'pet rock.'

"The pet rock relied heavily on packaging" he pointed out, "while the slug can stand on its own. Well, it could if it had legs."