Whenever we hear of deal making, one of the first name that pops into our head is none other than Donald Trump. His name has become synonymous with deal making. He authored the book “Trump: The Art of the Deal”.

Donald Trump.....The Deal Maker

I am very sure you have never heard of Kyle MacDonald….oh no, he has nothing to do with the fastfood chain McDonald’s. This guy is a great example of successful deal making in action.

Kyle MacDonald

Kyle traded his way from one single red paperclip to a house in the space of about one year. His project stirred up a great deal of publicity. This is what he did:

1. He started his website offering to swap his one red paper clip for anything.

This red paper clip started it all.

2. He swapped it for a fish-shape pen.

The fish-shaped pen

3. He swapped the pen for a hand-sculpted doorknob.

The hand-sculpted doorknob

4. He swapped the doorknob for a Coleman camp stove.

The Coleman camp stove

5. He swapped the barbecue for a portable Honda generator.

The Honda Generator

6. He swapped the generator for a keg of beer and a neon Budweiser sign.

The empty keg, an IOU for filling the keg with the beer of the holder's choice, and a neon Budweiser sign

7. He swapped these for a Ski-doo snowmoblie.

The Ski-doo Snowmobile

8. He swapped the snowmobile for a two-person trip to Yahk  British Columbia.

Two-Person Trip to Yahk

9. He swapped the trip to Yahk for a cube van.

The Cube Van

10. He swapped this for a recording contract with Metal Works in Toronto.

The Recording Contract

11. He swapped this for a year’s rent in Phoenix, Arizona.

The One Year House Lease

12. He swapped this lease for an afternoon with the rocker Alice Cooper.

An Afternoon With Alice Cooper

13. He swapped this for a KISS motorized snow globe.

KISS motorized snow globe

14. He swapped this for a role in the film “Donna On Demand”.

Role in movie

15. He swapped the movie role for a two-storey farmhouse in Kipling, Saskatchewan, Canada.

House in Kipling, Sakatchewan, Canada

Kyle is now looking to trade the house for anything. He is looking for nothing in particular. He just wants to make a trade and sees where that will lead him to. So if you have anything you’d like to offer in exchange for the house, and I mean anything, be sure to send in your offer to Kyle at oneredpaperclip@gmail.com.

Details about the red paperclip house:
Located at 503 Main Street in Kipling, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Fully furnished.
Two floors + basement
Three bedrooms
Two bathrooms
Refinished hardwood floors.
Fridge, stove, sinks, drawers, shelves…all the regular kitchen stuff.
Electricity!
Large grass front yard + large grass backyard.
Gas hot water tank + gas furnace.
Close proximity to schools, restaurants, grocery stores, hospital, etc. Kipling has most services in town.
World’s largest red paperclip on the front lawn.

So what lessons can we learn from Kyle? Well, for starters, these are some of the lessons:

1. Never give the excuse that you do not have anything to start with.

2. Have a goal.

3. Make use of free publicity.

4. Be open to opportunities.

5. Be flexible.

6. Network, network and network!

Ask yourself this question: What do I have that others might want? And think broadly here. What you have includes not only physical possessions but also your skills and your knowledge. Trade your way to success!