On March 2, 2025, a Flamin’ Hot Cheeto in the form of a Pokémon was sold for a whopping $87,840 (Rs 77 lakh) at an auction in the United States. The snack, named “Cheetozard,” was put up for sale by Goldin Auctions, which is headquartered in Runnemede, New Jersey. The three-inch Cheeto was sold to a collector who beat 59 others to it at a final bid of $72,000.
Description of the Cheetozard
The auction description provided the following description of the collectible:
“Offered here is a 3-inch Flamin’ Hot Cheeto in the form of the Pokémon Charizard, mounted on a personalized Pokémon card and sealed within a clear card storage case.”
The Cheetozard had been unearthed and preserved between 2018 and 2022 by 1st & Goal Collectibles. Its popularity was greatly increased towards the end of 2024 on social media, which was part of the auction hype.
Auction Details and Final Price
The last bid, with the buyer’s premium, reached Rs 76,50,965. It was a steep increase from its initial listing value of $250 (about Rs 21,771). Cheetozard’s sale made quite an impression, and it became the second-highest bid at the 2025 February Pop Culture Elite Auction where 1,464 lots were sold.
Most Expensive Lot and Competitive Bidding
Interestingly, the highest-priced item in the auction was a mint 1998 Japanese Pokémon Illustrator card, which went for $195,200. In the meantime, Cheetozard generated a lot of interest, with bidding starting as early as mid-February when it was initially posted on Goldin’s website.
Until the end of February, 34 bids had raised its price to $9,900 (Rs 8,61,825). Two bids on March 1 took it to $11,400 (Rs 9,92,405). At the auction time, the price kept increasing with 24 more bids before selling.
Cheetozard Sets the Record as the Most Expensive Cheeto
In its last sale, Cheetozard became the costliest Cheeto to be auctioned. Before it, the record was shared by a Pikachu-shaped Cheeto, which sold for $25,001 (Rs 21,76,592) through eBay.
