Snack Food Collectible Sparks Bidding War Among Enthusiasts
A single Flamin’ Hot Cheeto that bears an uncanny resemblance to the popular Pokémon character Charizard has fetched an astonishing $87,840 at auction, captivating collectors worldwide. The three-inch spicy snack, nicknamed “Cheetozard,” was sold to an anonymous buyer after an intense bidding competition.
From forgotten curiosity to valuable collectible
The journey of this unique Cheeto began when Paul Bartlett, owner of a sports memorabilia and trading card shop in Georgia, purchased it on eBay. Though the asking price was $500, Bartlett managed to acquire it for just $350.
“Goldin specializes in rare and one-of-a-kind collectibles, and the Cheetozard is exactly this. Part of what makes this item so fun and unique is that it bridges two fandoms—Pokémon and Cheetos,” said Dave Amerman, the head of consignment at Goldin.
After receiving the plastic-encased snack in 2019, Bartlett stored it in a safe where it remained forgotten until last year. When he eventually rediscovered the item and posted a photo on Instagram, it quickly went viral, attracting widespread attention.
Custom preservation and auction frenzy
Concerned about preserving the delicate snack food, Bartlett enlisted his friend Jordan Tkacsik to create a specialized four-part case to protect the Cheetozard from structural damage. Tkacsik developed the custom solution free of charge.
The auction, hosted by Goldin Auctions, began with an initial bid of $250 on February 10. By March 1, the price had soared to $18,000. A fierce bidding war ensued, continuing into the early hours of March 2, when the Cheetozard ultimately sold for $72,000 plus $15,840 in fees, bringing the total to $87,840.
Frito-Lay, the PepsiCo subsidiary that produces Cheetos, acknowledged the sale with a simple “two eyes” emoji on Goldin’s Instagram post announcing the transaction.
Tina Mahal, senior vice president of marketing at PepsiCo Foods, told CNN: “Cheetos are crafted with individual care and designed to be unique, and the ‘Cheetozard’ is no exception. It’s a longstanding tradition for fans to search for fun, interesting shapes and sizes inside every Cheetos bag, and we always love to see what they find.”
Food items as high-value art
The Charizard-shaped Cheeto joins other food items that have commanded extraordinary prices in recent times. Last year, cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun paid $6.2 million for an artwork consisting of a banana duct taped to a wall.
Days after his purchase, Sun created a stir by eating the banana during a speech, calling the artwork by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan “iconic” while drawing parallels between art and cryptocurrency.
This latest food-based auction highlights the growing intersection between consumer products, pop culture, and the collectibles market, where uniqueness and cultural relevance can transform even the most ordinary items into coveted treasures.