Was this Pokemon-shaped Cheeto worth $87,000?
'Cheetozard's' new owner may have had cash to burn
Charizard used 'Pay Day!' It's super effective!
On March 2, a Cheeto shaped like the popular Pokemon sold at auction for $87,840 US (about $126,000 Cdn).
Goldin Auctions, an auction house in Runnemede, New Jersey, that specializes in 'trading cards, collectibles and memorabilia,' sold the strange snack in an online auction.
The listing described the item as 'a 3-inch [7.6 centimetre] long Flamin' Hot Cheeto in the shape of the Pokemon Charizard,' and said it was 'discovered and preserved sometime between 2018-2022.'
A Cheeto is the brand name for a cheesy corn puff snack made by PepsiCo. They come in a variety of flavours, one of which is the spicy Flamin' Hot.
Charizard is an orange, dragon-like Pokemon from the popular Japanese media franchise of the same name. As one of the original Pokemon, it has become one of the series' most popular characters.
Can you see a resemblance between Cheetozard and Charizard in this scene from the Pokemon anime series? (Image Credit: Pokemon/YouTube)
Charizard's type (an element a Pokemon is aligned with) is fire, so it's fitting that its snack doppelganger is a Flamin' Hot Cheeto.
So who paid all that money for a funny-looking snack? Well, we don't know, as the auction was anonymous, but it's not the first time people have paid a lot of money for something unusual.
In 2024, an art piece called Comedian, which consisted of a banana duct-taped to a wall, sold for $6.2 million US.
Goldin Auctions is now auctioning another oddly shaped Cheeto. This one resembles the Air Jordan 'Jumpman' logo. (Image Credit: Goldin Auctions)
And in 2023, what were thought to be the world's oldest jeans sold at auction for $114,000 US.
Goldin Auctions has even put another oddly shaped Cheeto up for sale — this one resembling the "Jumpman" logo of Nike's Air Jordan shoe brand.
So, the next time you're snacking on some corn puffs, make sure to pay close attention before you toss them in your mouth — you might just be holding a very expensive auction item!
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With files from The Associated Press
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