The Cheeto That Roared: Why a Flamin’ Hot Snack Sold for Nearly $90,000
In a bizarre yet fascinating turn of events, a 3-inch Flamin’ Hot Cheeto shaped like Pokémon’s iconic Charizard—aptly dubbed the “Cheetozard”—has fetched an astonishing $87,840 at auction. This spicy snack, which started bidding at a mere $250, stirred up a frenzy of 60 bids before ultimately selling on March 2 through the collectible marketplace Goldin. The auction concluded with the final bid climbing to $72,000, but the lucky winner had to shell out an additional $15,840 due to a 22% buyer’s premium fee.
The Cheetozard, preserved by the Georgia-based 1st & Goal Collectibles, was unearthed during a cleaning spree after being stashed away for about five years. The discovery came as a pleasant surprise for the collectors, who shared their find on Instagram, noting the numerous offers they had received over the years. It’s a testament to the curious world of food collectibles, where even the most mundane items can achieve astronomical value.
This isn’t an isolated incident in the realm of edible art. The banana duct-taped to a wall, titled “Comedian” by Maurizio Cattelan, sold for a jaw-dropping $6.24 million in November 2019 at Art Basel Miami Beach. Art critics and collectors alike were captivated by the absurdity of the piece, which at one point had a man so enamored by it that he decided to eat the banana. This piece, too, highlights the blurred lines between art and outrageous novelty, as Cattelan himself remarked, “The best art raises lots and lots of questions.”
So what does the sale of a Cheeto for almost $90,000 say about our culture? It might suggest that people are willing to invest in the whimsical, the bizarre, and the nostalgic. In a world where everything seems commodified, even a snack can become a priceless artifact—if only because it resonates with the quirky heart of pop culture. This Cheetozard, a fiery tribute to a beloved franchise, reminds us that sometimes, fame can come in the most unexpected shapes and flavors.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and E! Online, People Magazine, Sotheby’s
Image Credit: Title: Untitled, Author: No author info, License: [‘cc_attribute’, ‘cc_nonderived’, ‘cc_publicdomain’]
