Do you consider yourself a big Pokémon fan? Well, this guy’s got you beat.

Over the weekend, one anonymous aspiring Pokémaster spent a whopping US$87,840 (about C$126,307) on a three-inch Flamin’ Hot Cheeto that looks like the popular Pokémon Charizard. The uniquely shaped snack item, affectionately dubbed “Cheetozard,” was initially discovered and preserved sometime between 2018 and 2022 by Georgia-based collectibles store 1st & Goal Collectibles.

After receiving a wave of media coverage in late 2024, Cheetozard was eventually put up for sale on the auction site Goldin. Bidding started at US$275 (about C$395) and, after 60 bids, ended with US$72,000 (about C$103,537) on Sunday. (The buyer’s premium raised the final price to US$87,840.) The winner will receive Cheetozard in a custom Pokémon card-inspired nameplate.

It’s a testament to the dedication of Pokémon fans, who have helped the iconic monster-catching series become the highest-grossing media franchise of all time with roughly US$100 billion (about C$143 billion) in lifetime revenue. (And yet, the US$87,840 spent on Cheetozard is seemingly more than The Pokémon Company and Game Freak put towards polishing Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.)

And yet, Cheetozard isn’t actually the most expensive Flamin’ Hot Cheeto to date. That honour goes to a 1.5-inch Cheeto shaped like the late, great gorilla Harambe, which sold for just under US$100,000 (about C$143,835) in 2017.

Image credit: Goldin

Via: Polygon