Welcome to Brainstuff, a production of iHeart Radio. Hey brain Stuff, Lauren Fogbaum. Here, there are very few products that have the simultaneous kitchy appeal and staying power of the nineteen eighties American classic the chia Pet. But exactly what is the story behind these sprout growing figurines, Where did they come from? And who exactly are the people buying the more than fifteen million chia pets that have sold over
the past forty years. Well, first things first, the actual chia planter is made of terra cotta and they were originally made in Wahaca, Mexico. In late nineteen seventies, Joe P. Dot, founder of Joseph Enterprises, Incorporated, purchased the rights to chiapets after finding them at a trade show in Chicago. He began marketing the product mainly to drug stores and discount
department stores. We spoke with Michael Hirsch, vice president of Joseph Enterprises, which was acquired by the National Entertainment Collectibles Association in Hirsh said would ties it on television at different times of the year. We discovered that the best time of the year was the holidays. That's how we did it for years hers She explained the company's first sales demographic was mostly women and children who wanted to grow plants indoors. He said, they wanted something in the
wintertime that they could grow inside. It's a planter. People loved to plant. It was fun and educational. Chia is a flowering herb related to mint and sage. The seeds are a popular food item, partially because they swell up with water, grabbing uselage that adds a jellylike texture of foods like pudding, and like other plants in the family, they grow pretty easily. But how do the terra cotta figurines grow sprouts? Is it really as simple as water
and watch it grow? As the ads imply almost. There are four basic steps to successfully growing a chia pet. First, you soak the planter. It's important to soak correctly and completely for best results. Soak it for several hours. Then you soak the cheese seeds and water before you spread them on the plant. Her out about two teaspoons of seeds to about a quarter cup to three quarters of a cup of water, and stir the water occasionally so the seeds don't congeal as they release. That gel. Next,
spread the seeds on the planter. Use a plastic knife, a rubber spatula, or your fingers to apply the seeds evenly against the grooves of the planter. Finally, put your chiapet in a sunny spot and water it every day. And just remember, like any other house plant, chia pets should be on a plate or dish to collect water and protect the surface it's on. And don't expect overnight growth.
You won't see sprouts for at least a week. With care, feeding and good sunlight, the chiapet should achieve maximum height after four to six weeks. The first chiapets were the Chea Bowl and Chia ram, although there was a Chia guy too, and while the chia animals were and still are popular in two Hersh says, the company began licensing figures, beginning with three iconic Looney Tunes characters, Tweety Bird, Taz,
the Tasmanian Devil, and Elmer Fudd. Licensing truly raised the status of the chiapet from quirky gift to iconic pop culture collectible. Hersh said, we look at trends, and we look at what looks good growing as a chia pet because not everything makes the grade. We look for things we think people would love to have. We've had good luck with some. He's not kidding. Among some of the company's biggest hits are Shrek and the Fellows from Duck Dynasty.
Hersh said they actually came to us. Bob Ross has also been phenomenal. The company typically licenses about three to four new products each year to go along with the stable of puppies, kittens, hedgehogs, Lamas, and other chiapet favorites. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have been immortalized in the pantheon of chiapet planters. President Barack Obama was once presented with two fully grown chiapets of himself by the then
president of Joseph Enterprises. After crowing, Hey, I've got green hair, he delightedly accepted the planters. According to Hersh, Chia Joe Biden is on its way. Of course, chia pets are all so used as promotional items by sports teams and other companies for giveaways, similar to bubbleheads and logo emblazoned kitch. Hersh said, we've done chiapets for the Major League Baseball Los Angeles Dodgers, the San Francisco Giants, the Washington Nationals,
and the National Basketball Association Chicago Bulls. Chia pets are collected by people all over the world, hersh said. People send us emails telling us they're missing X, Y, and Z and ask whether we're still making them. But we also like coming up with great new ideas. They're releasing the child chia pet, which, if you didn't know, is the official name for the baby Yoda from Disney's television
series The Mandalorian. These whimsical planters have become such a part of Americana that in two thousand three, p Dot was asked to donate his television advertising tapes, a selection of chia pets, and his company papers to the Bearing Center Archive at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, d c. At Chia pett was also included in the special exhibition Capturing Time the New York Times Capsule, in which artifacts from the twentieth century were placed in
time capsule that will remain closed until January one. Today's episode was written by Patty Rasmussen and produced by Tyler Clang. For more on this and lots of other quick growing topics, visit how stuff works dot com. Brain Stuff is production of my heart Radio. For more podcasts from My heart Radio, visit the heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.