From Mother Theresa To Michael Jordan: A Brief History Of "rare" Food Collectibles

Michael Jordan's signed Air Jordan 11 shoes worn during Game 5 of the 1996 NBA Finals are on display during 'Sports Week' auctions at Sotheby's in New York City on April 4, 2024. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP) (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)

My son asked me this week if we could buy a bag of Cheetos to look for “rare ones”. A once absurd request has somehow in 2025 become “not a bad idea”. Why? A Cheeto shaped as a Charizard sold for nearly $90k last month and a Cheeto shaped as the Michael Jordan “Jumpman” logo currently has bid of $5,650 on Goldin auctions. The Flamin’ Hot Air Jordan “Jumpman” Cheeto - 3” is the latest food collectible making headlines, but it’s certainly not the first. So, how did we get here?

We would argue that it started with a cinnamon bun—though not just any cinnamon bun. On a sleepy Christmas Day in 1996, Nashville's Bongo Java café discovered a pastry that bore an uncanny resemblance to Mother Teresa. They called it the "Immaculate Confection," but after a polite but firm cease-and-desist letter from Mother Teresa's lawyer, it was immortalized as the "NunBun." The bun went viral before going viral was even possible, hitting newspapers, late-night TV, and becoming a cherished local landmark until its mysterious theft nine years later. This baked good wasn't just food; it was a pop culture icon—a phenomenon. It showed that people will be drawn to just about anything if it taps into something larger than itself, something symbolic, humorous, or downright inexplicable.

Five years later, a woman auctioned a grilled cheese sandwich depicting the face of the Virgin Mary on eBay. Known as the Virgin Mary Toast, it sold for a remarkable $28,000 in 2004.

These two stories gave McDonalds an idea. Less than a year later McDonalds debuted the Lincoln French Fry Super Bowl Commercial. In the commercial a man finds a fry that looks like Abraham Lincoln and sells it on eBay. As part of the campaign, the Lincoln fry, which was a prop unfortunately, was listed on eBay where it sold for an insane $75,100.

Watch the ad here!

Fast forward nearly two decades, and we've evolved from divine pastries to divine snacks: enter the golden age of "Rare Cheetos." In 2016, Frito-Lay launched a "Cheeto Museum," inspiring snack enthusiasts everywhere to hunt for the unicorn-shaped puff worth $50,000. The strange craze fueled an economy of oddly shaped snacks on platforms like eBay. Suddenly, Cheetos shaped like everything from Michael Jackson to bald eagles began popping up for sale, listed as rare collectibles—not snacks.

The pinnacle of the phenomenon arrived in early 2017, when a Cheeto resembling Harambe, the beloved gorilla tragically shot at the Cincinnati Zoo, was listed on eBay. After 132 bids, the Harambe Cheeto sold for a staggering $99,900, making headlines and leaving many scratching their heads at the absurdity and brilliance of it all. It was proof positive that pop-cultural relevance could transform even the most ordinary snack into a money making collectible.

Following the Harambe madness, hundreds if not thousands of “rare” Cheetos were listed and sold on eBay but it wasn’t until Pokémon nostalgia hit fever pitch in 2025 did a Flamin’ Hot Cheeto shaped like Charizard, known affectionately as Cheetozard, bring “rare” Cheetos back to center stage. Cheetozard marked the evolution of the snack-collectible craze, blending pop culture, nostalgia, and genuine fandom into one flaming hot morsel. It demonstrated once again that collectors weren't just investing in snacks; they were investing in cultural currency.

But nothing symbolizes the rise of the snack collectible quite like the Flamin' Hot Air Jordan Jumpman Cheeto, currently listed on Goldin Auctions. Promoted by celebrities including Steve Aoki—who playfully showcased this "rare piece" in an Instagram reel. With 30 bids pushing its current price to a whopping $5,650, the Cheeto represents a blend of sports, fashion, and snack-food culture like no other.

Why would someone spend thousands on a snack that's designed to be eaten rather than admired? It comes down to the unpredictable alchemy of collectible culture. Once an item—no matter how odd—finds itself embedded in pop culture’s zeitgeist, its value can skyrocket. It's part amusement, part investment, and part status symbol. After all, anyone can buy sneakers, but how many can say they own a Flamin' Hot Air Jordan Cheeto?

Today, searching "Rare Cheeto" on eBay returns more than 400 listings, (Buy on eBay) including some with genuinely competitive bids. Perhaps the reason we’re drawn to these absurd collectibles isn't because they have inherent value, but because they hold a story, a spark of humor, or an echo of shared cultural moments. The NunBun walked so the Flamin’ Hot Jumpman could fly. It’s impossible to say what will come next, but one thing's certain: in the world of collectibles, nothing is too absurd, and nothing, not even a “rare Cheeto” should ever be dismissed as a fad.

Note: The current bid for the Jumpman Cheeto was $5,650 at the time of writing. The final bid may be different.

Your collection deserves a community. Download Mantel today.