1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:07,120 Speaker 1: Welcome to Brainstuff, a production of iHeart Radio. Hey brain Stuff, 2 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:10,520 Speaker 1: Lauren Fogbaum. Here, there are very few products that have 3 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:14,640 Speaker 1: the simultaneous kitchy appeal and staying power of the nineteen 4 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:18,720 Speaker 1: eighties American classic the chia Pet. But exactly what is 5 00:00:18,760 --> 00:00:22,080 Speaker 1: the story behind these sprout growing figurines, Where did they 6 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:25,000 Speaker 1: come from? And who exactly are the people buying the 7 00:00:25,040 --> 00:00:27,800 Speaker 1: more than fifteen million chia pets that have sold over 8 00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:31,800 Speaker 1: the past forty years. Well, first things first, the actual 9 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:34,159 Speaker 1: chia planter is made of terra cotta and they were 10 00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:38,960 Speaker 1: originally made in Wahaca, Mexico. In late nineteen seventies, Joe P. Dot, 11 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:43,040 Speaker 1: founder of Joseph Enterprises, Incorporated, purchased the rights to chiapets 12 00:00:43,040 --> 00:00:45,640 Speaker 1: after finding them at a trade show in Chicago. He 13 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:48,800 Speaker 1: began marketing the product mainly to drug stores and discount 14 00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:52,560 Speaker 1: department stores. We spoke with Michael Hirsch, vice president of 15 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:55,920 Speaker 1: Joseph Enterprises, which was acquired by the National Entertainment Collectibles 16 00:00:55,960 --> 00:01:01,319 Speaker 1: Association in Hirsh said would ties it on television at 17 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:03,480 Speaker 1: different times of the year. We discovered that the best 18 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:05,480 Speaker 1: time of the year was the holidays. That's how we 19 00:01:05,520 --> 00:01:08,839 Speaker 1: did it for years hers She explained the company's first 20 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:11,720 Speaker 1: sales demographic was mostly women and children who wanted to 21 00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:14,920 Speaker 1: grow plants indoors. He said, they wanted something in the 22 00:01:14,920 --> 00:01:17,880 Speaker 1: wintertime that they could grow inside. It's a planter. People 23 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:22,120 Speaker 1: loved to plant. It was fun and educational. Chia is 24 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 1: a flowering herb related to mint and sage. The seeds 25 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:28,360 Speaker 1: are a popular food item, partially because they swell up 26 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:31,720 Speaker 1: with water, grabbing uselage that adds a jellylike texture of 27 00:01:31,760 --> 00:01:35,280 Speaker 1: foods like pudding, and like other plants in the family, 28 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:38,960 Speaker 1: they grow pretty easily. But how do the terra cotta 29 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:42,320 Speaker 1: figurines grow sprouts? Is it really as simple as water 30 00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:46,160 Speaker 1: and watch it grow? As the ads imply almost. There 31 00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:50,240 Speaker 1: are four basic steps to successfully growing a chia pet. First, 32 00:01:50,360 --> 00:01:53,320 Speaker 1: you soak the planter. It's important to soak correctly and 33 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:57,240 Speaker 1: completely for best results. Soak it for several hours. Then 34 00:01:57,360 --> 00:01:59,440 Speaker 1: you soak the cheese seeds and water before you spread 35 00:01:59,480 --> 00:02:01,800 Speaker 1: them on the plant. Her out about two teaspoons of 36 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:04,240 Speaker 1: seeds to about a quarter cup to three quarters of 37 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:07,160 Speaker 1: a cup of water, and stir the water occasionally so 38 00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:10,880 Speaker 1: the seeds don't congeal as they release. That gel. Next, 39 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:13,239 Speaker 1: spread the seeds on the planter. Use a plastic knife, 40 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:15,720 Speaker 1: a rubber spatula, or your fingers to apply the seeds 41 00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:19,320 Speaker 1: evenly against the grooves of the planter. Finally, put your 42 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:22,200 Speaker 1: chiapet in a sunny spot and water it every day. 43 00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:25,040 Speaker 1: And just remember, like any other house plant, chia pets 44 00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:27,320 Speaker 1: should be on a plate or dish to collect water 45 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:30,960 Speaker 1: and protect the surface it's on. And don't expect overnight growth. 46 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:34,160 Speaker 1: You won't see sprouts for at least a week. With care, 47 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:37,560 Speaker 1: feeding and good sunlight, the chiapet should achieve maximum height 48 00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:41,639 Speaker 1: after four to six weeks. The first chiapets were the 49 00:02:41,720 --> 00:02:44,720 Speaker 1: Chea Bowl and Chia ram, although there was a Chia 50 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:48,160 Speaker 1: guy too, and while the chia animals were and still 51 00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:53,000 Speaker 1: are popular in two Hersh says, the company began licensing figures, 52 00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:57,320 Speaker 1: beginning with three iconic Looney Tunes characters, Tweety Bird, Taz, 53 00:02:57,440 --> 00:03:01,920 Speaker 1: the Tasmanian Devil, and Elmer Fudd. Licensing truly raised the 54 00:03:01,919 --> 00:03:05,080 Speaker 1: status of the chiapet from quirky gift to iconic pop 55 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:09,040 Speaker 1: culture collectible. Hersh said, we look at trends, and we 56 00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 1: look at what looks good growing as a chia pet 57 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:13,919 Speaker 1: because not everything makes the grade. We look for things 58 00:03:13,919 --> 00:03:16,480 Speaker 1: we think people would love to have. We've had good 59 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:20,000 Speaker 1: luck with some. He's not kidding. Among some of the 60 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:23,480 Speaker 1: company's biggest hits are Shrek and the Fellows from Duck Dynasty. 61 00:03:23,919 --> 00:03:27,000 Speaker 1: Hersh said they actually came to us. Bob Ross has 62 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:31,400 Speaker 1: also been phenomenal. The company typically licenses about three to 63 00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 1: four new products each year to go along with the 64 00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:37,680 Speaker 1: stable of puppies, kittens, hedgehogs, Lamas, and other chiapet favorites. 65 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:41,160 Speaker 1: Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have been immortalized in the 66 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:45,480 Speaker 1: pantheon of chiapet planters. President Barack Obama was once presented 67 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 1: with two fully grown chiapets of himself by the then 68 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:52,480 Speaker 1: president of Joseph Enterprises. After crowing, Hey, I've got green hair, 69 00:03:52,880 --> 00:03:56,320 Speaker 1: he delightedly accepted the planters. According to Hersh, Chia Joe 70 00:03:56,320 --> 00:03:59,800 Speaker 1: Biden is on its way. Of course, chia pets are 71 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:02,320 Speaker 1: all so used as promotional items by sports teams and 72 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:06,960 Speaker 1: other companies for giveaways, similar to bubbleheads and logo emblazoned kitch. 73 00:04:07,600 --> 00:04:10,400 Speaker 1: Hersh said, we've done chiapets for the Major League Baseball 74 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:14,119 Speaker 1: Los Angeles Dodgers, the San Francisco Giants, the Washington Nationals, 75 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:18,800 Speaker 1: and the National Basketball Association Chicago Bulls. Chia pets are 76 00:04:18,839 --> 00:04:22,119 Speaker 1: collected by people all over the world, hersh said. People 77 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:24,800 Speaker 1: send us emails telling us they're missing X, Y, and 78 00:04:24,880 --> 00:04:27,919 Speaker 1: Z and ask whether we're still making them. But we 79 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:31,600 Speaker 1: also like coming up with great new ideas. They're releasing 80 00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 1: the child chia pet, which, if you didn't know, is 81 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:37,680 Speaker 1: the official name for the baby Yoda from Disney's television 82 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:41,920 Speaker 1: series The Mandalorian. These whimsical planters have become such a 83 00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:44,960 Speaker 1: part of Americana that in two thousand three, p Dot 84 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:48,200 Speaker 1: was asked to donate his television advertising tapes, a selection 85 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:50,880 Speaker 1: of chia pets, and his company papers to the Bearing 86 00:04:50,960 --> 00:04:54,279 Speaker 1: Center Archive at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History 87 00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:57,640 Speaker 1: in Washington, d c. At Chia pett was also included 88 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:02,440 Speaker 1: in the special exhibition Capturing Time the New York Times Capsule, 89 00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:05,040 Speaker 1: in which artifacts from the twentieth century were placed in 90 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:14,719 Speaker 1: time capsule that will remain closed until January one. Today's 91 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:17,520 Speaker 1: episode was written by Patty Rasmussen and produced by Tyler Clang. 92 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:20,039 Speaker 1: For more on this and lots of other quick growing topics, 93 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:22,840 Speaker 1: visit how stuff works dot com. Brain Stuff is production 94 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:25,279 Speaker 1: of my heart Radio. For more podcasts from My heart Radio, 95 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:28,000 Speaker 1: visit the heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 96 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:29,240 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.