Swapping a paperclip for a house

April 19th, 2006

This guy started off with a red paperclip in July. By making deals with people and continuously swapping his item for a better one, he's now got a one year recording contract with a house. He plans to continue swapping until he has a whole house, out right.

BBC News:

Mr MacDonald originally swapped the pen for a ceramic doorknob, which he in turn traded for a camping stove.

This was followed by a generator, bartered for an "instant party package": an empty beer keg, a neon Budweiser sign and a promise to fill the keg - offered by a man in New York.

The beer package went to a Montreal DJ, in exchange for a snowmobile.

…

This was traded for a white van, which was used to secure a recording contract which in turn led to the offer of free accommodation in Phoenix.

But Mr MacDonald is not taking his eyes off the big prize: "I'm going to keep trading for bigger or better things until I get a house."