Jordan Tkacsik was perusing his friend Paul Bartlett’s sports memorabilia and trading card shop last year when he noticed something unusual in a section full of Pokémon collectibles.
It was a Cheetos cheese puff, but not just any Cheeto. Rather, it was a Flamin’ Hot Cheeto that bore an uncanny resemblance to Charizard, an orange dragon-like creature that is one of the Pokémon universe’s original and most beloved characters. The Cheeto itself was housed in a small plastic container, and the three-inch cheesy treat even had a name: Cheetozard.
Mr. Tkacsik was not exactly a Pokémon aficionado, but he knew it was an unusual item. So he made it his mission to build a case for the puff and get it ready for sale.
Still, Mr. Tkacsik had no way of knowing that Cheetozard was bound for global celebrity. In March 2025, the dragon-shaped snack sold at auction for $72,000 (plus fees that pushed the price to nearly $90,000) amid a bidding frenzy. Yep, that’s right, a “Flamin’ Hot” snack with an uncanny resemblance to a fire-breathing Pokémon was a hit on the auction block.
