Most people would think that a paper clip is not worth very much. How much is a paper clip worth? How much is a house worth? Do you think that one red paper clip is worth as much as these things above? The answer might surprise you.
On July 14, 2005, Kyle MacDonald made a plan. He wanted to see if he could get a house for one red paper clip. He asked people to trade something to him for his paper clip. Two women agreed to trade a fish pen for the paper clip.
Kyle traded his fish pen for a doorknob. He traded his doorknob for a little stove. He kept trading and he got bigger and better things. Kyle got a van, a holiday for two people, and a year in a house.
Kyle even got to meet Alice Cooper, a famous singer. He helped Kyle get a snow globe. Kyle traded that snow globe for a part in a movie. With that movie part, Kyle made one last trade.
On June 5, 2006, Kyle finally got his house. Kyle made fourteen trades to get his house. He started this plan for fun. He now has a house in Saskatchewan, Canada. Kyle was very good at trading. What would you trade for one red paper clip?
Long ago, people would trade goods. What does that mean? A farmer would give a baker wheat. The baker would give the farmer bread. It was a fair trade. They gave things each other needed. They used their goods as payment.
Sometimes they would trade goods for services. The baker would give the barber bread. The barber would give the baker a haircut. They would trade things instead of using money.
Sometimes the trades were fair. Sometimes they were unfair. People had to learn to trade well. It was a useful skill to have.
Have you ever traded things with your friends? Have you ever traded chores with your siblings? My sister and I used to trade chores. I hated vacuuming, and she hated washing the dishes. We would trade when we had those chores. It was a great deal for both of us. She liked vacuuming, and I liked washing dishes.
In some countries, it is common to barter. Barter means to discuss the price of something. Some people are great at bartering. They can get a great price on what they want. Are you good at bartering?
Trading and bartering sometimes bring you great things. Kyle MacDonald started with a big idea and a small trade. He ended with a big idea and a huge trade. What an amazing journey he had.