Everything Elon Musk does becomes news. Sometimes it’s dead serious, others… not so much.
The Tesla Short Shorts are definitely one of the wackier things Tesla has done at Musk’s behest.
But what are they? And where can you still get Tesla Short Shorts?
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Yes, Tesla Short Shorts are actual short shorts
The Tesla Short Shorts are limited-edition satin shorts, as in actual short pants, that the company put out to mock all the “shorts” out there.
Tesla Short Shorts went on sale in July 2020 for the price of $69.420. If you wonder why Tesla chose that very specific price, well, it’s an internet thing, you sweet summer child.
Here’s the official product description from the Tesla.com product page (now offline):
Celebrate summer with Tesla Short Shorts. Run like the wind or entertain like Liberace with our red satin and gold trim design. Relax poolside or lounge indoors year-round with our limited-edition Tesla Short Shorts, featuring our signature Tesla logo in front with “S3XY” across the back. Enjoy exceptional comfort from the closing bell.
Why did Tesla sell Short Shorts?
In short, Tesla Short Shorts are a dig at shorts. Confused? Let us explain.
“Shorts,” in investment parlance, refers to investors who bet against a stock. In other words, they “short” that specific stock.
When an investor shorts a company, they only make a profit if the company’s stock goes down. Think of it as reverse investing.
Elon Musk has famously beefed with Tesla shorts, and in return short investors have hurled a barrage of criticism at Musk and Tesla.
Of course, short investors have an interest in damaging the standing of their target in the market. By doing so, they can bring down its stock, and profit.
Not all Tesla shorts are out to get Tesla. Many have legitimate reasons to think Tesla stock is overvalued or that it would go down in the future.
Still, Musk has no love for shorts, which brings us back to the Tesla Short Shorts.
Why are Tesla Short Shorts such a big deal?
Well, they’re not, or at least they weren’t supposed to be. After all, they’re just a pair of red shorts, emblazoned with the famous S-3-X-Y acronym referring to the Model S, Model X, Model 3 and Model Y cars in Tesla’s lineup. (Cybertruck and Roadster have been left out.)
With the huge interest around everything Musk though, Tesla Short Shorts have instantly become collector’s items.
As of this writing, Tesla Short Shorts are no longer available on Tesla.com, where they initially went on sale.
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Where can you buy Tesla Short Shorts?
Like with all collector’s items, there’s a market for Short Shorts in unofficial channels like eBay or Craigslist.
You can buy purportedly “authentic” Tesla Short Shorts off eBay for prices ranging from $75 to $250 or more. That’s more than the original meme-inspired price, but that’s to be expected when you’re getting sought-after merchandise.
Try to pay attention to things like packaging and carefully read the description before buying Tesla Short Shorts. The original shorts came in a classy-looking black box emblazoned with Tesla’s logo, so look for that when shopping.
There are also obvious Tesla Short Shorts knockoffs on sale for $30 or less. They may look like the real deal, but obviously lack the collectible value of the originals.
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