TXN
It’s not every day you come across a Flamin’ Hot Cheeto that bears an uncanny resemblance to a Pokémon. However, the person who came into possession of the viral object known as “Cheetozard” will end up with a solid chunk of cash based on the bidding war it was greeted with after hitting the auction block.
I assume I’m far from the only person who gets too preoccupied with shoveling way too many Cheetos into my mouth after opening a bag to take the time to closely examine the ones I’m eating, but there are apparently plenty of people out there who are a bit more deliberate when it comes to the consumption process.
In 2016, the brand invited fans to submit photos of Cheetos of the Crunchy and Flamin’ Hot variety that resembled animals, people, and other real-life objects and received more than 100,000 submissions from hopefuls trying to get their hands on the $10,000 weekly prize it handed out in addition to the $50,000 reserved for the best entry (which was eventually rewarded to “Hot Cheetos Cat”).
It’s hard to imagine a Flamin’ Hot Cheeto that has a lot in common with Charizard is going to be able to match that number when the auction it’s being featured in ends up wrapping up, but its owner is still going to make out pretty well based on how things are currently trending.
In 2024, the person behind the Instagram account 1st and Goal Collectibles found themselves going viral courtesy of “Cheetozard,” a Flamin’ Hot Cheeto that admittedly looks a lot like the iconic Pokemon that inspired the moniker.
The Cheeto in question was pulled out of a bag sometime between 2018 and 2022, and it garnered enough attention to earn a spot in the pop culture-themed auction that’s currently underway at Goldin.
The bidding opened at $250, and as of this writing, Cheetozard has garnered 14 offers that have pushed the price up to $2,100 with more than a week to go in an auction that will wrap up on March 1st.
What a world.