How One Man Traded His Way Up From A Red Paperclip To A House In A Year

In 2005, Canadian dreamer Kyle MacDonald decided to see how far a single red paperclip could take him. Armed with curiosity and a sense of humour, he began an epic year-long barter adventure that would make internet history.

His first swap? The red paperclip for a fish-shaped pen. From there, he traded up to a handmade doorknob, then a Coleman camp stove, and later a generator. Each trade got bigger and bolder — soon he had a snowmobile, which he swapped for a trip to Yahk, British Columbia. Next came a box truck, a recording contract, and even a role in a Hollywood movie. Finally, his twelfth trade sealed the deal: that movie role was exchanged for a two-storey house in Kipling, Saskatchewan.

Kyle’s story went viral as a celebration of creativity, persistence, and the power of connection. What began as a quirky experiment became a modern legend in bartering and thinking outside the box.

It’s proof that with imagination (and maybe a paperclip), you really can trade your way to your dreams.