Will One Red Paperclip Be Traded for a House?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around Kyle MacDonald's project of trading a single red paperclip for increasingly valuable items, ultimately aiming for a house. Participants explore the implications of bartering, the role of publicity, and share personal anecdotes related to trading and bartering experiences.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express optimism about MacDonald's ability to trade up to a house, citing personal experiences with successful bartering.
  • Others point out that MacDonald's publicity from media appearances may skew the nature of his trades, suggesting that he is trading not just items but also visibility.
  • A few participants share their own past experiences with bartering, comparing them to MacDonald's journey.
  • There are comments questioning the fairness of the trades, with some noting that MacDonald seems to receive items of greater value than what he offers.
  • Several participants express a desire to improve their own bartering skills and consider what they could trade for valuable items.
  • Some humor is present, with playful offers of paper clips and other trivial items in jest.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that bartering can lead to surprising outcomes, but there is no consensus on whether MacDonald's approach is fair or if the publicity he receives significantly influences the trades.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express jealousy or skepticism regarding the value of items traded, indicating a lack of clarity on the true worth of the items involved in the exchanges.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in bartering, trading strategies, or those curious about unconventional methods of acquiring valuable items may find this discussion engaging.

Math Is Hard
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http://oneredpaperclip.blogspot.com/
My name is Kyle MacDonald and I am trying to trade one red paperclip for a house. I started with one red paperclip on July 12th, 2005 and I am making a series of trades for bigger or better things. My current item up for trade is one year in Phoenix.

Think he'll get that house?
 
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Wow a really good cross dresser?

I see no reason why he can't work his way up to a house. When my son was 12 he started out with a beat up AM radio, and ended up with a camper which he sold at 14 for 1,200 dollars.
 
DaveC426913 said:
In a rather astonishing coincdence, one Kyle MacDonald is also the CEO of a London ON company called Phoenix Interactive. :bugeye:

I know. I worked there for two years.

http://www.phoenix-interactive.com/who/leadership.html

And built their website.

That is a rather odd coinkidink! No paper clip connection, though.
 
hypatia said:
I see no reason why he can't work his way up to a house. When my son was 12 he started out with a beat up AM radio, and ended up with a camper which he sold at 14 for 1,200 dollars.
That's wonderful. I really need to learn how to barter!
 
Math Is Hard said:
Think he'll get that house?
Sure. People will trade anything just to get their picture on someone else's website.
 
Math Is Hard said:
That is a rather odd coinkidink! No paper clip connection, though.
What? She has a whole box of them in her drawer!


:wink:
 
It's kind of cheating though.

He went on television and everything, so the publicity is HUGE. Therefore, you aren't just trading for just the previous item, but for publicity too.
 
One time in high school I started with a penny and ended up with a dime.
 
  • #10
dav2008 said:
One time in high school I started with a penny and ended up with a dime.
One time in high school, I found a dime ! :biggrin:

This Kyle guy looks a good bit like Hyp, wot ?
 
  • #11
man, i could use a year of rent in phoenix. I'm moving in 6 weeks and i technically have no place to live... course, i have nothing to offer. unless he wants... ... ... a hug? that's about all I've got. heh.

i should work on my bartering skills too. wonder if i can get free college tuition.. that would also be very nice..
 
  • #12
This is amazing! What an inspired idea.
 
  • #13
i read through that site, i can't believe the stuff people gave him. like, he got way better stuff than he was offering. even that fish pen... a pen is worth way more than a paper clip. he's only even made 10 trades. it'd be more impressive if he'd really worked for it...

...ok, yeah, I'm a little jealous. I'm wracking my brain trying to think of something worth a year of rent... if only i had like a nice car or an expensive guitar or something. yeah, i totally have nothing worth a couple thousand dollars. awell. i'll have to find an appt the old fashioned way.
 
  • #14
Does anyone want a paper clip? I'll trade you. :-p
 
  • #15
I'll offer half a paper clip for that paper clip.
 
  • #16
i have an idea, who has something worth an years rent in arizona that they'd be willing to give up? yeah, and then, you tell me what you do want, and i'll find someone who has that and will give me something for it... and i can keep doing that until someone wants something i have.. its perfect!

now i can live in arizona and i don't have to worry about moving without a place to live or a job!
 
  • #17
I'll offer you a sheet of paper for the paperclip. :rolleyes: Wait, if I give you the paper, I won't need the paperclip anymore.

When I first saw that guy's site, I thought the same thing as JasonRox, that he's not really trading just the stuff, but the publicity too.
 

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