Viral Pokémon-shaped Cheeto nicknamed ‘Cheetozard’ sells at auction for nearly $88K

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A case of Pokémon pareidolia has proven rather profitable for one seller.

On March 2, a Flamin’ Hot Cheeto shaped like the Pokémon Charizard sold at auction for $87,840. Nicknamed “Cheetozard,” the viral fire-breathing-creature-shaped snack was sold through Goldin, an online auction house specializing in trading cards, collectibles and other memorabilia.

Cheetozard is a three-inch long Flamin’ Hot snack mounted to a custom Pokémon card encapsulated in a clear card storage box.

Bidding for the item started at $250 on Feb. 10 at 8:10 PM, and 60 bids later, the winning bid of $72,000 was made on March 2 at 1:42 AM, according to Goldin. The extra $15,840 on the final price is the auction house’s 22% “buyer’s premium” fee.

Goldin declined to share who purchased the pricy Cheeto but says that people from all over the world visited its website to watch the auction, which ran for nearly a month.

“Goldin specializes in rare and one-of-a-kind collectibles, and the Cheetozard is exactly this,” Dave Amerman, Goldin’s head of consignment, tells TODAY.com. “Part of what makes this item so fun and unique is that it bridges two fandoms — Pokémon and Cheetos.”

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