Collectibles

4 Years Later, Boring Co.'s Flamethrowers are Still Reselling

4 Years Later, Boring Co.'s Flamethrowers are Still Reselling

Robert Calendar

And there's no sign of it stopping any time soon.

Key Points

  • 20,000 Not-a-Flamethrowers were produced in 2018 as funding for Musk's new Boring Company for $500 each
  • They sold out quickly, and can still be resold for between $2,000-$3,000
  • Only available in the US, resellers have made money by shipping them to other countries.

Elon Musk's Boring Co. is one of many ventures of the notorious African-American billionaire. While the company is nominally focused on boring tunnels to create new routes through congested cities, they have also dipped their feet into weaponry. Well, okay, technically not, because they are very clear that the Boring Co. "Not-a-Flamethrower" is in fact, not a flamethrower. In any case, the limited release and novelty of the product have led to it selling out rapidly. Even years down the line, Not-a-Flamethrowers continue to resell, for more than they were worth in 2018.


What is the Boring Co. Not-a-Flamethrower?

It's been 4 years since Elon Musk first announced his plans for the Boring Company, and now people are reselling the company's flamethrowers on eBay for thousands of dollars. The $500 flamethrowers sold out within minutes of being released, but some sellers are asking for as much as $3,000 on eBay.


In 2018, 20,000 "Not-a-Flamethrowers" were made for $500 each. Officially, The Boring Company is working on a "system to protect pedestrians & cyclists from getting hit by cars" I.E. tunnels. How do (not a) flamethrowers factor into that? They're referred to as "force multipliers." While that's... possible, they could also be considered a nontraditional way of raising funding for another one of Elon Musk's endeavors, leveraging his fanbase to help pay for the company's startup expenses.

From the start, The Boring Company wrestled with the name, before sticking their tongue firmly in their cheek, and settling on "Not-a-Flamethrower," and the first batch of 1000 were hand-picked at a party hosted by Musk himself.

Why do these Flamethrowers resell?

The flamethrowers were originally only available to customers in the US, but some international buyers have found ways to get their hands on one. In America, flamethrowers are not regulated on a federal level, and in fact, only California and Maryland place any restrictions on their ownership.

While the company has since pivoted entirely to tunnel boring, the Not-a-Flamethrowers have left their mark on The Boring Company. To this day, they still hold a tab on the homepage of their website, and prices on eBay still well exceed retail.

Just a toy or useful tool? If you had one, would you keep it or flip it? Or would you prefer to something with a bit more range?

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