Where would you spend $88K if you had it just lying around? Well, some people would probably invest it in something meaningful, something that would improve their life. At the same time, there are always others who would opt for something less purposeful, something that some might even call stupid.
The example we have in mind here is a Pokemon-shaped Cheeto costing $88K. Yes, such a purchase actually happened in real life just a few days ago, we're not making it up. So, let's jump in to learn more about such an interesting event, shall we?
While some people would choose to spend $88K on something meaningful, others would pay such a sum for a Cheeto
Image credits: Goldinco
A few days ago, a Pokémon-shaped Cheeto was sold in an auction for $88K
A few days ago, a viral Pokemon-shaped Cheeto named “Cheetozard” (as it looks like Charizard) was sold for nearly $88K at an auction. Yes, you read that right – a Pokemon-shaped Cheeto was just sold for a large sum of money.
This Cheeto was discovered and preserved somewhere between 2018 and 2022 by 1st & Goal Collectibles. It gained quite a lot of online attention on April 6, 2024, when the company posted about it on their Instagram.
Image credits: Goldinco
On February 10, it was put up for Pop Culture Elite Auction with an initial bid of $250. The Cheeto itself, which is around 3 inches in length, was encapsulated in a clear card storage box paired with a customized Pokémon card.
With time, the bids started coming in and the price began to get higher and higher. In total, there were 60 bids, the last one being $72,000, which turned into $87,840 with the buyer’s premium. Yet, the name of the person who bought this treasure wasn’t revealed to the public.
Image credits: Mike Mozart / Flickr (not the actual photo)
Still, people were, let’s say, shocked by their purchase. For them, it seemed diabolical that someone would throw so much money towards something so relatively meaningless. Phrases like “What’s wrong with people” or “America can’t be a real place” were thrown around.
Well, despite their shock, it isn’t the only Cheeto that reminded someone of something that has ever been sold (or is currently for sale) for rather a large sum. Apparently, there’s quite a market for them.
The Cheeto resembling the Pokémon Charizard was discovered and preserved somewhere between 2018 and 2022, and went viral in 2024 when its owners posted about it on Instagram
Image credits: Ryan Quintal / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Here, on eBay, you can find Cheetos shaped like a Nike check, Shin Godzilla, or even Arnold Schwarzenegger, and all of them are listed at high prices. While these are still for sale, there are some expensive ones that aren’t anymore.
For instance, in 2017, a Cheeto corn snack resembling Harambe the Gorilla was sold for $99,900. Yes, even for a higher price than the Pokemon one, and it even had more bids than it – 132.
On February 10, 2025, it was placed on auction with an initial bid of $250, which with 60 offers, rose to a whopping $87,840
Image credits: senivpetro / Freepik (not the actual photo)
People noticing such various forms in their chips likely has to do with a phenomenon called pareidolia. It’s when people impose a meaningful interpretation (usually a visual one) where there is none. An example of that would be seeing faces on items that do not have them, or, as in the case with the Cheetos, seeing shapes in food items.
And while it’s sometimes interesting to notice things like that, knowing that some folks are willing to throw more money at them than some people make in several years sounds kind of dystopian, doesn’t it?
Its purchase made netizens go wild, as they couldn't understand how someone could pay so much money for something so meaningless
