Funny Nature & Travel Art & Stage Going Viral Science Greetings Inspirational

Edit Profile Recently Viewed Favorites

Main > Going Viral > Baba Recommends

One Red Paperclip

Edited By: Jonathan B.

Font Size:

A+ A-

On July 14, 2005, a Canadian blogger by the name of Kyle McDonald used his blog to trade a single, red paperclip for a fish-shaped pen. The idea was to try and always trade up, inspired by the game “Bigger, Better”. Kyle’s blog started getting attention, and his trade up idea became famous. The pen, however, was not his last trade:

One Paperclip Is Worth as Much as a Home

Source

On the same day, Kyle traded the pen for a hand-sculpted doorknob.
On July 25, 2005, Kyle traveled to Seattle and traded the doorknob for a Coleman camp stove.
Two months late, on September 25, Kyle drove to California to trade the stove for a Honda generator.
On November 16, 2005, he traded the generator for an “instant party” kit, which included: an empty beer keg, an IOU (I owe you) note promising to fill up the keg with the owner’s choice of beer, and a neon Budweiser sign.

One Paperclip Is Worth as Much as a Home

The “Instant party” was traded for a snowmobile on December 8, 2005. The previous owner was Canadian comedian and radio personality named Michel Barrette.
It took him less than a week to trade the snowmobile for a 2-person trip to British Columbia.
Come January 7, 2006, Kyle traded the trip for a cube van.
The cube van was traded for a recording contract on February 22, 2006.

After two months, Kyle traded the contract for a year’s rent in Arizona.
Two weeks after that, he traded the year’s rent for an afternoon with artist Alice Cooper.
Exactly one month later, on May 26, 2006, the afternoon was traded for a KISS motorized snow globe.
A week later, he traded the motorized snow globe for a role in the movie “Donna on Demand”.
Finally, on July 5, 2006, almost one year after first traded his red paperclip, Kyle McDonald traded his movie role for a 2-story farmhouse in Saskatchewan.

Source

The moral of this story is that the worth of things is subjective, and a single paperclip can sometimes be as valuable as a house.

Like Next Post Send Share WhatsApp

Copy Link

Did you mean:

Continue With: Facebook Google

By continuing, you agree to our T&C and Privacy Policy

Report copyright infringement

Print this content

You may also like:

Baba Recommends

26 Fascinating Facts About Our History and World.

Can You Believe All These Facts are True?!

How many of these incredible facts to you think you already know?

Art

This Artist Makes Amazing Pie Art That's Too Good to Eat

Take a Look at These Beautiful Pies!

Watch this amazing pie art by New Zealand based artist

Science and Technology

WATCH: 10 Human Body Facts That'll Stun Your Senses

The human body is simply amazing. These 10 facts will leave you open mouthed and awed.

Science and Technology

Have a Look at the Real Beauty of Mathematics!

There are Some Great Secrets Found in Mathematics...

Numbers hold some great secrets - they even tell us about life!

Design & Photography

A Tour of Photographic History in 13 Images

What Did the Earliest Photographs Look Like?

Nowadays everyone has a camera, but take your mind back the time when photography was just a fantasy and imagine the thrill of seeing the first photos!

Baba Recommends

The Narrowest House in the World?

Japanese architect Kota Mizuishi created this special triangular house for a family of 3. This unique narrow house actually has a kitchen, bathroom, 2 bedrooms, a playroom and a guest space, and is valued at around $200K. The creative use of space is

Humor

17 Times Cakes Delivered the Perfect Roast - Funny Pics

FUNNY: Cakes That Serve Up Laughs With Every Slice

These 17 cakes deliver messages that are just as entertaining as the events they were made for.

Health

New Hope for PTSD Treatment: Psychoactive Drugs

MDMA and Magic Mushrooms: New Hope for PTSD Treatment

In recent years, scientists have turned to an unlikely source for a breakthrough in PTSD: psychedelic drugs once known mainly for recreational use.

Send Comment

Related Topics: amazing, interesting, house, human story, Paperclip, Trade

Quizzes

What Do You Know About AI?

These 15 questions challenge your understanding of cutting-edge technology. Dive in and discover how much you know about AI’s recent milestones!

What's Hiding in These Images?

In this test, there's no way to cheat—you’ll need to identify the object you see.

What Gift Do You Give Your Family?

At the end of the test, we will tell you some insights that will help you enhance your natural strengths and also understand how your unique job contributes to family and family happiness.

Most popular in Baba Recommends

From Beans to Bar: How Chocolate is Made from Scratch...

Ever wondered how chocolate was made from beans to bar? Well, this collection of photographs will reveal all.

Ennio Morricone's Timeless Score Captivates Audiences

2:59

A Fistful of Dollars: Live and Unforgettable Performance

Watch The Danish National Symphony Orchestra perform Ennio Morricone’s classic song "A Fistful of Dollars."

The Facts Behind These Rare Pics Are Truly Fascinating

These Rare and Riveting Pics Reveal Some Captivating Facts

The world is full of rare and unique things that we may have never seen before. Here is a look at 15 such pictures with fascinating stories.

25 History Pics That Give You a Unique Glimpse of the Past

You Will Love This Collection of Rare Historical Photos

This amazing collection of vintage photographs will give you a unique glimpse of the past.

History Facts You've Probably Never Heard Of

Keep a Conversation Flowing With These Historical Facts

If a conversation you're having starts to stall, just throw out some of these amazing historical facts and you’ll be talking long into the night!

Millennials Are Killing These 12 Industries...

The preferences of millennials are destroying dozens of industries. Here are 12 industries that they're killing.

That Time Sinatra Told a Funny Story About Don Rickles

4:53

That Time Sinatra Told a True Story About Don Rickles

40 years ago Frank Sinatra appeared on the Johnny Carson show. Unbeknownst to him, Don Rickles surprised him by appearing there, and Sinatra told a funny and true story about the both of them.