Summary
A Charizard Cheeto, with no official connection toPokemon, has sold at auction for nearly $88,000 USD. The sale indicates how far somePokemontrainers are willing to take their fandom, though it’s far from the first instance that Cheetos and other snacks resembling iconic figures have sold for high prices.
Cheetos are made by combining water and cornmeal and sending them through a machine to create the iconic finger-like shape that Cheetos are known for. However, there are sometimes instances where oddities can slip through. Over the years, some people have made a surprising amount of money selling Cheetos resembling iconic images via auction, with the Cheetos brand itself even holding a contest to find the most unique-looking snack. This new sale seems to have drawn fans of both the iconicfinger-staining snacksandPokemon.
In this particular instance, a Cheeto dubbed “Cheetozard” by the seller went onauction, starting at $275 back on February 11, only to surge in price to a staggering $72,000 by the time it closed on March 1. The grand total is even higher, with the auction company’s buyer premium leading to an overall cost of $87,840. The Cheeto, for a randomly created shape, does bear a surprising resemblance to Charizard. It looks like a Charizard flying in profile, with recognizable horns, limbs, a tail, and a long wing extending from its back. Appropriately, the Charizard is actually aFlamin' Hot Cheeto, a variety of the snack known for both its spiciness and vibrant red color, which is remarkably appropriate for the Fire-type Pokemon known for its surly and fiery personality.
The History of The Charizard Cheeto
According to the auction listing, this Cheeto was actually discovered as far back as 2018. Its resemblance was acknowledged, and the Cheetozard was preserved, affixed to acustomPokemoncard, and mounted in a clear box for viewing. The card is a particularly amusing touch, noting that Cheetozard evolves from Cheeteleon, with an image mockup showing what a Cheeto Charmeleon might look like.
While some Cheetos with resemblances to real figures or iconic objects have sold for high prices, this is one of the most expensive in recent history. While officialCharizard trading cards have sold for extremely high pricesin the past, with some celebrities even making waves by acquiring them, a novelty item like this arguably has no real value, but still generated a ton of interest from buyers. Given the excitement drummed up by this sale, it will be interesting to see if morePokemon-like Cheetos flood the market.
