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A House For One Red Paperclip
Tim_F writes to mention the news that Kyle MacDonald (the guy trying to trade a red paperclip for a house) has succeeded in his quest. His recently traded a KISS Snowglobe in exchange for one afternoon with Alice Cooper. He in turn traded the snowglobe to an enthusiastic snowglobe collector, for a role in a movie. From the article: "Now, the town of Kipling, Sask., located about two hours east of Regina with a population of 1,100, has offered MacDonald a farmhouse in exchange for the role in the movie. MacDonald and his girlfriend will fly to the town next Wednesday. 'We are going to show them the house, give them the keys to the house and give them the key to the town and just have some fun,' said Pat Jackson, mayor of Kipling."
Wouldn't he have accomplished his goal quicker if he started with a red stapler? ...or would have have had to burn the house down when he finally got it?
So what?
He has a farmhouse in the town of Kipling, Sask.? So...? Why stop now? If he could trade that for two red paperclips, doubling his original investment, I'd be impressed.
I'll probably be modded down for this...
It would be ironic if he died of a paper cut that could have been prevented by a paperclip.
It's not offtopic, dumbass. It's orthogonal.
you've heard all the stories about guys in the military during WWII trading whiskey for bullets or other such things, well, my buddy and i came upon a huge spool of single mode fiber optic cable - Like, dining room table sized. Anyhow, our plan was to trade up the spool of fiber to an F-15 that we could share since we were in the Air Force.
we got as far as finding a guy that would take the spool from us after we used all the fiber... oh well.
Best laid plans and all....
guns kill people like spoons make Rosie O'Donnell fat.
This story, more than anything else I've seen, shows the amazing powers of the internet. Simply by connecting so many people in almost-real-time, stuff like this has become a possibility. Admittedly, I'm sure many of the trades only came about via the publicity and novelty of the idea, but before we had the world literally at our fingertips, such ideas wouldn't have been even remotely possible.
I applaud this guy simply for trying something new and having it work out for him nicely.
I think you hit the nail on the head. This story belongs with the Million Dollar Home Page and other stupid ideas that people went along with because it was getting a lot of publicity. This story doesn't prove that bartering is still alive. It doesn't prove that you can start with nothing and end up with something. All it proves is that people are willing to jump on just about any bandwagon. I mean come on, some town no one has ever heard of just happens to give the guy a house for a small movie roll? Hooray for bartering.
-William Brendel
I think he should keep on trading up. I'm sure someone somewhere would be willing to trade this house for something better. There seems to be no limit now...
News from the future:
"This just in. We have learned today that Mr. Kyle MacDonald has just acquired the entirety of the United States of America."
"I, for one, welcome our barter-trading overlord."
Because it's an opportunity for people to write Funny +5 comments.
Apparently, on Slashdot, that is reason enough...
So yeah, one might have been able to trade up a single red paperclip into a house without publicity, but it would have taken longer and been a much more impressive feat.
Just to make sure everyone knows, this man's (still impressive) accomplishment was fueled not by being able to make smart trades, but by the publicity of the stunt. Clearly, the people trading with him were giving him items of far greater value than what he was providing. The balance of the transaction can be measured in publicity.
Web 2.0 == Giant Blogspam Circle Jerk
He traded the KISS Snowglobe for a role in a movie. He then traded the role in the movie for the farmhouse. Nowhere in the article, in his bio, or anywhere else you could have yanked it did it say he was a filmmaker.
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jonathan barket
Saskatchewan is one of those places where you can watch your dog run away for a couple of weeks. This is not so with cats or hamsters (too disorganized and buffalo food respectively). Fish still refuse to live in the province.
And here's a complete map of Kipling.
Duct tape is like the Force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together.
I've never Kippled. What's it like?
Show me on the doll where his noodly appendage touched you.
Kyle MacDonald: "One Red Paperclip" - NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE!
See! the hit comic action adventure drama, starring Will Smith as Kyle MacDonald, Uma Thurman as his long suffering girlfriend, and Lindsay Lohan as the paperclip.
Hear! Will Smith's amusing remarks as he trades pieces of junk for larger, more profitable junk!
Cry! when Will Smith unwittingly trades a van for a piece of paper, almos losing long-time girlfriend Uma Thurman.
Laugh! when it turns out the piece of paper was a recording contract!
Based on a true life story! (Some liberties taken; various items replaced by famous celebrities and the internet replaced by word-of-mouth of the quirky inhabitants of Will Smith's home town in Northern California).
Sample the from riveting novelization:
"CHAPTER 1. It started with this paperclip. Then he trades it in for a pen. Then, like, he trades it in again, but for a doorknob... Then he goes and trades it for a coleman stove. Then he trades the stove for James Woods. 'Hey, buddy.' Says James Woods, 'I'm James Woods.' 'Beleeve dat,' says Will Smith - his catchphrase for the film."