In 2005, Kyle MacDonald had a simple idea sparked by a red paperclip sitting on his desk. Inspired by a childhood game called “bigger and better”—where players trade small items for something more valuable—MacDonald set an ambitious goal: to trade his paperclip for a house. With determination and patience, he embarked on an extraordinary journey that would span months and continents.
Starting small, MacDonald listed the paperclip on Craigslist and traded it for a fish-shaped pen. That same day, he swapped the pen for a quirky doorknob. From there, his trades became more ambitious. A camping stove in Massachusetts led to an electric generator, which he exchanged for a neon “instant party” kit. The party kit turned into a snowmobile, which then became two tickets to the Canadian Rockies.
Continuing to climb the ladder of value, MacDonald traded one ticket for a used box truck, then swapped the truck for a recording contract. The contract brought him a year’s rent in Phoenix, which led to an unforgettable afternoon with rock legend Alice Cooper. While many questioned his decision to trade that experience for a KISS snow globe, it turned out to be a savvy move. Hollywood producer Corbin Bernsen, a passionate snow globe collector, offered MacDonald a movie role in exchange for the globe.
Finally, after nearly a year of trading, MacDonald achieved his goal. He swapped the movie role for a two-story house in Kipling, Saskatchewan, where the town celebrated his success with live auditions for the film role. The house now serves as the Paperclip Cottage Cafe, a local attraction in Kipling, complete with a giant red paperclip sculpture marking the town’s claim to fame.
Kyle MacDonald’s journey from paperclip to house remains a testament to creativity, persistence, and the power of unconventional thinking.